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The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
excellence in journalismPersonal Finance 25India Elections 10
Vol.6 No. 51 April 19-25, 2014 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Humor 28 Spiritual Awareness 30
By Parveen ChopraManaging Editor
Many times in the past elec-
tions, Congress party man-
aged to hold on to power --
ineffectual governance or lukewarm
popular support notwithstanding --
because of what used to be called the
TINA factor. TINA stands for ‘There Is
No Alternative’. Now, the shoe is on the
other foot. There is no alternative to
Narendra Modi who is roaring and
ready to wrest the reins of the country.
His barnstorming election campaign for
his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is like
a juggernaut which is casting aside
everything in its path. The Congress
party still refuses to see the writing on
the wall, because as BJP leader Arun
Jaitley said, “Most Congressmen
believe they were born to rule.
Certainly the first family of the
Congress firmly believes that."
Instead of accepting the failures of
UPA II - policy paralysis and gargantu-
an scams-- Congress leaders are blam-
ing Manmohan Singh government’s
inability to communicate its achieve-
ments for the party-led front’s slipping
electoral support. What they fail to see
is the opportunity and valuable time the
country lost due to poor governance of
the past five years when the prime min-
ister was a mute witness to the unfold-
ing scams and the parallel centers of
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul were calling
the shots. In this seemingly hopeless
situation, three-term Chief Minister of
Gujarat, Narendra Modi, with his power
to make miracles with his development
model and achieve consistent double
digit economic growth rate, was waiting
to be unleashed on the country. The first
watershed moment in the by now fast
changing scene – and in Modi’s unstop-
pable march to 7, Race Course Road –
came in March 2013 when he was cho-
sen head of BJP’s Central Election
Campaign Committee. Three months
later, he was installed as head of the
poll campaign for the crucial 2014 gen-
eral election, albeit in the face of stiff
opposition from senior party leader
L.K. Advani. Obviously what Advani
and others in his group inimical to Modi
could not see or accept but party presi-
dent Rajnath Singh cottoned on to was
that Modi alone could deliver the final
push to BJP which was within sniffing
distance of power. Rajnath Singh pre-
vailed again when in September 2013
the party declared Modi as their prime
ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok
Sabha election.
Internal opposition in the party maybe
managed for now, but the ‘secular’ par-
ties led by Congress and liberal intellec-
tuals have pounced upon Modi, digging
up the issue of post-Godhra riots of
2002 in Gujarat. No matter that during
late 2011 and early 2012, Modi under-
took a series of fasts as part of a
Sadbhavna (goodwill) Mission to reach
out to the Muslim community in his
state, or as he has recently been reiterat-
ing that he does not discriminate
between Hindus and Muslims and is not
going to divide the country as prime
minister. He wants to move on. But
yes, the taint remains no matter that
the courts have exonerated him.
No matter. Modi’s popularity is
skyrocketing and each successive
opinion poll has been cramming
more and more seats in BJP’s col-
umn. A month ago, the surveys pre-
dicted BJP-led NDA (National
Democratic Alliance) would emerge
the largest group in Lok Sabha, yet
fall short of a simple majority. This
week the estimate was revised up,
NDA could cross 275 seats in the 545
strong House, meaning that the BJP’s
‘Mission 272’ (hitherto called
‘Mission Impossible’ by the
Cassandras) is all but accomplished.
The multi-pronged poll campaign
under Modi too is breathtaking,
much ahead of that of the rival par-
ties. Witness, for example, NaMo
addressing public meetings using
3D hologram technique. The
social media too is widely used
and the energies of overseas Indians
harnessed well.
What is working in Modi and
BJP’s favor is that after years of a
rudderless regime and ensuing
chaos, the country craves a strong,
decisive leader. More, the age of ide-
ology is past, ordinary folks just
want to lead a decent life. In Modi
The South Asian Times endorses NaMo as next Prime Minister of India.
Why Modi for PM? Also see pages 2,3,4. Continued on page 3
2 April 19-25, 2014 MODI FOR PM TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By SAT Team
My definition of secularism is sim-
ple: 'India First'. Whatever you do,
wherever you work, India should
be the top priority for all its citizens.
These moving words from Narendra Modi
have redefined secularism as synonymous
with nationalism and challenged Congress
party’s claim to be the only secular party.
“Secularism is in the DNA of Indians. We
believe the entire world is our family. Vote
bank politics is a bane. It is when that ends
that we will understand the true definition
of secularism,” Modi said while addressing
Indian Americans through video conferenc-
ing. "Country is above all religions and ide-
ologies," he argued.
The Congress has reacted sharply by ask-
ing Modi to first “demonstrate” in Gujarat
that he was secular before talking about the
rest of the country. CPI-M’s Prakash Karat
said Modi's Gujarat model was not accept-
able to the rest of India.
One can ask, what is wrong in saying that
every Indian should put the country above
everything else? That applies to people of
both the majority Hindu community and the
main minority Muslims. Once the national
interest become paramount, other differ-
ences will automatically be put on the back-
burner. “Country is above all religions and
ideologies. Nothing less than India’s well-
being should be our goal. And if this hap-
pens, secularism will automatically run in
our blood," said Modi.
But to score points in this election season,
Congress has kept harping on Modi’s
alleged complicity in post-Godhra Gujarat
riots of 2002. The BJP’s counter attack
reminds Congress of anti-Sikh riots of 1984.
But for how long can we allow ourselves
to remain prisoners of history? The courts
are looking into both the Gujarat riots and
1984 riots and some of the culprits have
been sent to jail as well.
Unfortunately, the hair-splitting on secu-
larism vs communalism has molded much
of the political discourse in India in the past
two decades. Congress and BJP have always
accused each other of stoking religious sen-
timents for electoral benefits. BJP has
always accused Congress of pursuing the
policy of "minority appeasement" since
independence. ‘Secularism’ basically is a
western concept that separates government
institutions and functionaries from religious
institutions and dignitaries. The emergence
of BJP in the 1990s as a serious challenger
to Congress party’s hegemony ignited the
secularism vs communalism debate. Riding
on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, BJP
grabbed power in UP and emerged as an
alternative to the Congress at the national
level, with even some sadhus getting elected
to Parliament on BJP ticket.
Consequently, the BJP’s perceived anti-
minority image polarized the Indian polity
as Muslims started voting en-bloc for par-
ties most likely to defeat the BJP. The
Congress, sensing an opportunity for isolat-
ing the emerging rival, positioned itself as
the torch bearer of "secularism".
But it’s high time that the country and its
politicians decide to take a fresh look at the
secularism vs communalism debate. Modi
deserves a hearing.
Global Indians for Bharat Vikas
(GIBV), a group of NRIs, has been
drumming up support for Narendra
Modi and by organizing several “Vote for
India”, “Chai pe Charcha” programs in all
major cities of USA in late March. GIBV is
spearheading the efforts of reference calling
(calling one’s friends and relatives in India),
specific constituency focused calling (call-
ing swing constituencies), social media
campaign in support of NaMo and facilitat-
ing the visit of hundreds of NRIs to cam-
paign on the ground in India.
The cities where such programs were con-
ducted included Boston, New Jersey, New
York, Philadelphia, Washington DC,
Atlanta, Orlando, Houston, Dallas,
Indianapolis, Chicago, and San Francisco.
These awareness raising programs will go
on till the last day of election.
Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi
said recently that there is no Modi
wave, only a BJP wave in the ongoing
general election. He is in denial. Nobody
can deny that ever since party President
Rajnath Singh managed to get Narendra
Modi declared as the party’s PM candidate,
the party has been energized and galvanized
and close to forming the next government in
India. People in general and the media in
particular are hooked on 24/7 to what Modi
says and does. His barnstorming rallies
attract huge crowds.
Within months Modi has dwarfed all
other leaders in the party in popularity and
influence - and that includes LK Advani on
whose rath yatra BJP rode to become the
second largest party after Congress in the
1991 election. Advani was dissuaded from
contesting from Bhopal, something he
wanted. Jaswant Singh was expelled from
the party after he decided to run as an inde-
pendent after being denied a party ticket in
Barmer. Modi is a strong leader, somebody
India may need, you can argue, after the
seemingly headless UPA government con-
vulsed by policy paralysis. But there have
been murmurs of unease. Public intellectual
Ramachandra Guha said, “Modi’s tendency
is to centralize and self-aggrandize. These
traits are not entirely becoming in a
prospective prime minister of a large and
diverse country.” RSS, the ideological foun-
tainhead of the BJP finds nothing wrong in
Modi's rising stature and it sees "nothing
bad in promoting somebody who could get
you votes". "The RSS never said personali-
ties cannot or should not dominate the polit-
ical scene," RSS spokesperson Ram
Madhav commented when asked if deci-
sion-making powers in the BJP were being
concentrated in Modi.
How Modi became synonymous with BJP
Surge of support for NaMo campaign in USA
(1) Chicago team shouting slogans in favor of Modi (2) Indianapolis volunteers served Modi tea at a fundraising
event.(3) Houston farewell to volunteers going to India to campaign.
1 2
3
3April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info MODI FOR PM
Pitching for a "Team India",
BJP’s prime ministerial can-
didate Narendra Modi said
Friday his appeal would not be to
Hindus and Muslims but to the
entire people of the country.
Holding that the country has been
divided in the name of secularism,
Modi said: "I cannot accept a divide
between brothers of the country in
the name of secularism.
“Neither will I say anything to
Muslims nor to Hindus. I will just
address 125 crore Indians," he said
in an interview to Network 18
refusing to practice the politics of
identity.”
The Gujarat chief minister said he
wanted to create a "Team India"
which would include the prime
minister and all chief ministers.
Modi said "whenever Congress
sees bad days, they blame the RSS”
while RSS is a cultural organization
dedicated to the betterment of the
country. "They should be appreciat-
ed for their good work. I know of
many RSS people who are living in
remote areas to help people".
On foreign policy, Modi said that
trade, commerce and technology
would be the driving factors in
Indo-US diplomatic relations if the
BJP came to power at the centre.
On economic policy, a pan-India
goods and services tax with the sup-
port of state governments and a
push for infrastructure and privati-
zation of state units without politics
were among Modi's assurances if
voted to power.
He also said the entire gamut of
foreign equity needed re-evaluation,
even as his pro-people, pro-jobs
government will not cut subsidies
but shun crony capitalism.
"We have always been on the side
of the goods and services tax. But
its success lies on a proper IT net-
work across the country," Modi
said. Pressing for corruption-free
politics, Modi said he looked for-
ward to creating a system where
there was little scope for crime and
corruption.
"We cannot ensure 100 percent
cleansing of political malpractices
but we would stress on preventive
measures so that the scope for
crime and corruption is negligible,"
he added. He said if the BJP came
to power, he would send a list of
tainted MPs to the Supreme Court.
By Team SAT
As the polling
moves to-
wards the
May 16 close, BJP’s
prime ministerial can-
didate Narendra Modi
is leagues ahead of
the nearest rivals
Aam Aadmi Party’s
Arvind Kejriwal and Congress
vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
The Pew Research Center, a
non-partisan US think tank, report-
ed a few weeks ago that 60% of the
likely Indian voters surveyed have
a very favorable view of Modi
while just 23% of the public have
a very favorable opinion of Rahul.
And according to Google
Trends, in terms of online search-
es, on a scale of 0-100, Modi
scored 65 points, followed by Ke-
jriwal (52 points) and Gandhi (41
points) for the month of February.
In a unique online poll in Britain,
Rahul Gandhi was seen as the
"least driven" and "least creative"
of the three main leaders. Modi
emerged as the "most driven" and
"most visionary" candidate while
Kejriwal gets credit as "most prin-
cipled" and "most creative" politi-
cal figure.
Actually, the choice before India
is clear. Rahul being the scion of
the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty had a
chance but did not rise to the occa-
sion. Media reports have laid bare
the poor development in Amethi,
his constituency.
With no governance experience
and lack of vision for strengthen-
ing India’s position in the global
scenario, Rahul comes across as a
disappointing option for today’s
knowledgeable, aware, demanding
Indian voter.
Kejriwal’s stock has been falling
after he quit as Delhi CM within
49 days. Now he says quitting was
a mistake.
The so-called Third Front has
not even taken off, though Jay-
alalitha, Mulayam Singh and
Mayawati have bared their PM
ambitions in case BJP-led NDA
fails to get a clear majority in Lok
Sabha. Telugu Desam Party and
Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Jan
Shakti have already joined NDA.
Congress party’s minority ap-
peasement policies may still cut
ice with the Muslims, but with
AAP’s emergence, that vote bank
is bound to be divided.
So, what is clear by now is the
inevitability of Modi taking the
reins of India and leading it to
newer heights.
Good governancerecord
Modi has a strong track record of
13 years of good governance with
persistent double digit GDP
growth in Gujarat. Superb infra-
structure, 24 hour electricity and
water supply even in the interiors
and new industrial hubs has not
only brought prosperity to the state
but also attracted huge FDI. His
development model has got
thumbs up from global rating
agencies.
In contrast, in a decade of Con-
gress-led UPA rule, the GDP
growth, which had crossed double
digits, has dwindled to half, to 5.9
per cent. Inflation coupled with
corruption and red tapism have
stalled employment generating
growth projects, and foreign in-
vestors have become wary due to
flawed policies and tax laws. The
plethora of gargantuan scams un-
der Congress watch has also
marred its chances of retaining
power.
On the other hand, Modi with his
pro-growth agenda, development
record for three successive terms
in Gujarat holds much promise to
the under-35 voters which now
make for a whopping 40-50 per
cent of the population.
The greatest achievement of
Modi’s rule is that there is peace
and tranquility in Gujarat. There
have been no communal riots in
the state in the last 12 years.
Who will India choose?A proven leader, a dynastic scion or a quitter?
What Modi stands for - in his own words
Narendra Modi, The hope and... Continued from page 1they see hope of accelerating devel-
opment and their plight improving.
Modi’s frugal lifestyle and no fami-
ly to fend for is seen as a bulwark
against temptation to be corrupt.
On balance, Modi seems to the
right man at the right time who will
work tirelessly to take the country
into the 21st century with head held
high in the comity of nations. He
may be labeled by the liberal media
and some quarters internationally as
a controversial, polarizing, and divi-
sive figure, but British economist
Jim O'Neill, author of the BRIC
report, wrote that Modi is "good on
economics", one of the things that
"India desperately needs in a
leader".
Modi’s development model has
got thumbs up from global rating
agencies. The flow of FDI is ready
to resume again and the Indian stock
market to zoom up.
Not only India, the world is wait-
ing with bated breath for Narendra
Modi to assume power after the
biggest election in the world in the
biggest democracy of the world. Yet
another peaceful transition of
power!
The South Asian Times, the lead-
ing newspaper of the Indian diaspo-
ra in America, is proud to announce
its endorsement of Shri Narendra
Modi for the next Prime Minister of
India.
Incidentally, we recently endorsed
Hon Ed Mangano for Nassau
County Executive and Hon Bill de
Blasio for Mayor of New York City.
We are glad that both were victori-
ous with a huge mandate. We sin-
cerely wish and hope Shri Narendra
Modi will also get a similar
mandate.
(Chat over Tea)
Sunday, April 20th.
From 3:00-4:30 pm
In order to support Narendra Modi
in his election campaign to be the
next Prime Minister of India, Chai
Pe Charcha (Chat over Tea) will be
held at the residence of Jagdish
Sewhani at 20 Linden Lane, Old
Westbury, NY 11568
from 3:00-4:30 pm.
You are cordially invited to
participate at this event with
your family and friends.
For further information, please contact:Jagdish Sewhani – 917-834-8842
Animesh Goenka – (516-647-9950
Dr. Yashpal Arya – 516-840-9810
Narain Kataria – (718) 478-5735
Arish Sahani – (718) 271-0453
Dr. C. B. Singh – (718) 217-2628
CHAI PE CHARCHA
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4 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoMODI FOR PM
By Jagdish SewhaniPromoter, Overseas Friends
of Narendra Modi
Narendra Modi is the icon of resur-
gent India. Right now he is the most
popular mass leader in India. He is
loved, respected and
held in high esteem
by millions of
Indians. Modi is an
idea whose time has
come. More than
being the BJP candi-
date for the post of
PM, he is a move-
ment itself which is
re-energizing and
reinvigorating the
nation as a whole. He is the man India has
been waiting for a very long time. He is seen
as a solution to many of the problems Indian
people have been suffering in silence.
India has tremendous potential. It deserves
better. If we are going to rewrite our our
future and rebuild India into a glorious
country, we need a dynamic, decisive leader
like Narendra Modi.
Modi is a leader with a difference. He has
a vision to make India a superpower. And he
has a proven track record of the past 12
years.
The Pew Research Center, a non-partisan
US think tank has said that nearly 70% of
Indians surveyed support Narendra Modi as
Prime Minister of India. Indians have
expressed dissatisfaction with the way
things are going on in the country at present,
and this is shared across the political spec-
trum.
Here are some of the reasons as to why
Modi/BJP/NDA should be voted to power:
�1998 – 2002, NDA added 2,700,000jobs in small scale industry alone. That’s
more than what Congress added across all
industries in 7 years!
�32 terrorist organizations like LeT, JeM,HM, ULFA, SIMI were banned by NDA.
�Just the Golden Quadrilateral Project
that Vajpayee government built would save
Rs. 8000 crore of fuel consumption in India.
�During Modi’s rule school dropout ratesdropped from 20.9 % in 2001 to 2% in 2012
in Gujarat. The number of universities
increased from 11 in 2002 to 44 in 2013 in
the state.
�Modi has maintained double digit eco-nomic growth rate in Gujarat.
�The greatest achievement of the ModiGovernment is that there is peace and tran-
quility in Gujarat. There have been no com-
munal riots in the state in the last 12 years.
�For the most part of the past 60 yearswe have been led on a wrong path. In the
past 10 years under Congress-led govern-
ment, corruption has been rampant and it
gave nothing but scams. The UPA in the past
10 years has jeopardized the Indian dream
for generations to come.
�But we see the hope and that hope isNarendra Modi. Under Narendrabhai's
dynamic leadership Indian dream can be res-
urrected.
Modi is resurrecting the Indian DreamBy Dr Narendra HadpawatPresident, Rajasthan
Association of North America-NY
Iam totally convinced that finally India has a
national leader who is going to improve the
life of ordinary citizens so urgently required
in the country. Since 1947 India has made
progress in many sectors, but not enough when
compared to the rest of the world. Look at
many small and large countries like Taiwan,
South Korea, Japan, Singapore and China.
Indians in general are as well educated and intelligent if not better
than citizens in these countries. I believe our elected leaders in Free
India have failed us.
Because the Indian National Congress was the largest political
organization during the struggle for freedom from the British, natu-
rally its leaders controlled the politics of India, or should we say
abused it for their personal gain and glory. Basic necessities like edu-
cation, healthcare, infrastructure did not improve much in the past 65
years. India is still home to the largest number of the poor in the
world. The small percentage of educated and resourceful citizens
figured out how to improve their lives, but the masses continue to
suffer. Fortunately, a leader like Narendra Modi has now emerged in
India at the national level who has the vision, potential and capabili-
ties to change all this. Looking at the rapid development in Gujarat
under his rule, he has proven that Good Governance is possible in
India and that will improve infrastructure and economy of the coun-
try. This in turn will result in better life for the ordinary folks. He
deserves the opportunity, and I believe Indian voters are going to
give him the chance.
Let all Indians abroad too wish him well, he has lot of tough work
ahead. God bless Mother India, God bless Narendra Modi.
By Juned Qazi, Executive Member INOC (I)
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi’s media hype reflects narrow
vision of a small time politician
who doesn’t understand the national charac-
ter of India. Modi is hooked to the word
‘development’ so much that he forgets the
word, ‘sustainable’. Is erecting high-rise
buildings the proof of real development?
Or handing over government land to big
industrialists at throwaway prices or keeping the labor cost cheap
in his state? He boasted that manufacturing plants continued to
produce during recession. He made it possible by ensuring that
workers’ wages didn’t rise. In fact, ‘Development at a social cost’
is the Modi mantra. He is the guardian of the rich while paying
lip service to the poor. Modi seems to believe that he is the
unchallenged leader of tomorrow but he has no vision for our
country. Quiz him on foreign policy, and his answer is Pakistan
and China. Sadly some people are buying his nonsense and divi-
sive statements. His economic policy, he claims without
specifics, will bring dollar value down to Rs 35!
He needs to look outside his shell and see the diversity of the
huge nation called India. He talks about ‘Nation First’, but his
vision does not go beyond Gujarat. People of India can’t allow
religion-based politics which violates the fundamental values of
our nation upon which our constitution is based. India is a secu-
lar, socialist and democratic nation. BJP is tempering with the
secular nature of our constitution. Modi too is misleading the
people by dragging religion into politics. India is fortunate to
have a very progressive and modern constitution, which is capa-
ble of taking the nation to new heights in the 21st century.
Modi can improve life of suffering masses And a contrarian view
�Provide clean and transparent leadership
�End corruption
�Combat terrorism effectively, enhance safetyand security of nation
�Nurture economic development, create jobsfor younger generation
�End the dynastic rule from Indian democracy.
�India will once again be the most favorednation for Global Investment.
�Time has come to bid farewell forever toCorrupt Congress.
Narendra Modi will
5April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Washington, DC: Bangalore born poet Vijay
Seshadri has won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for
poetry for "3 Sections" described as "a com-
pelling collection of poems that examine hu-
man consciousness, from birth to dementia, in
a voice that is by turns witty and grave, com-
passionate and remorseless."
Seshadri, 60, will get the $10,000 prize for
a distinguished volume of original verse by
an American author and published by Gray-
wolf Press, announced Columbia University,
which administers the prestigious prizes.
Also nominated as finalists in the poetry
category were "The Sleep of Reason," by
Morri Creech (The Waywiser Press) and "The
Big Smoke," by Adrian Matejka (Penguin).
Seshadri's other poetry collections include
"The Long Meadow" (2004), which won the
James Laughlin Award from the Academy of
American Poets, and "Wild Kingdom
(1996)," according to poets.org.
Seshadri, who came to America at the age
of five, grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He
teaches poetry and nonfiction writing at Sarah
Lawrence College and lives in Brooklyn with
his wife and son.
New York: Travel agent Akarsh Kolaprath,
who runs a Florida-based enterprise, has filed
a lawsuit against Wizcraft, the organizers of
the 15th International Indian Film Academy
Awards (IIFA) for alleged breach of trust.
Kolaprath claims that three years ago, he
struck a deal with Andre Timmins and Viraf
Sarkari of Wizcraft through his family com-
pany, 7M tours. As part of the deal, he was
asked to help them out with co-ordination of
finances and taking the award ceremony to
the US this year, according to a Mid-Day re-
port.
Kolaprath claims to have spent the last
three years and around $2,65,000 on consult-
ing and making travel arrangements for the
organization. In return, Wizcraft apparently
promised him 3 percent of the entire profit.
Kolaprath says that he even managed hotel
bookings for the event, which is going to be
held from April 24 to 27. It seems that the
event organizers have abruptly changed their
mind and decided to do their own bookings
and arrangements thereby cancelling his
services. Kolaprath has now sued Wizcraft
for $7 million for leaving him in the lurch
without giving him adequate reasons.
Wizcraft and IIFA in a press statement said,
"The claims made by Akarsh/&7M tours are
false and frivolous. It is a concocted story
lacking any substance. Wwe shall respond to
these claims appropriately before the court."
Trenton, NJ: Gov. Chris Christie
has appointed Dr. Sudhir M.
Parikh, a reputed allergist in the
tristate area, to the State Board of
Medical Examiners. This will be
the second time Dr. Parikh will be
serving on the board. In 1993, he
was the first Indian-American ap-
pointed to the board by then Gov.
Christie Todd Whitman.
The New Jersey’s Medical Board
describes its mission as one of pro-
tecting the public’s health and safe-
ty by determining qualifications of applicants
for licensure, establishing standards for prac-
tice, and disciplining licensees who do not ad-
here to those requirements. In addition to
physicians and podiatrists, the board licenses
and certifies certain other health care profes-
sionals.
The board is constituted of a se-
lect number of physicians and
medical personnel, all appointed
by the governor.
Dr. Parikh, who runs 24 allergy
and asthma practices in the tristate
area, is also known for his philan-
thropic work with several nonprof-
it organizations in the US and In-
dia. He is also the recipient of sev-
eral awards including the Ellis Is-
land Medal of Honor (2005), one
of the highest civilian honors for
an immigrant in the country; the Pravasi
Bharatiya Samman and the Padma Shri from
India, and the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Sam-
man. Dr. Parikh is the chairman and publisher
of Parikh Worldwide Media Inc. which pub-
lishes five periodicals including Desi Talk in
New York. He is married to Dr. Sudha Parikh.
Brooklyn poet Vijay Seshadri wins Pulitzer
IIFA sued for $ 7 million
Dr. Parikh appointed to NJ State Board of Medical Examiners
New York: India-born former Goldman
Sachs director Rajat Gupta, who had lost his
appeal to overturn his conviction on insider
trading charges, has been ordered to surrender
and begin his two-year prison sentence in
June.
On March 25, a US court upheld the 2012
conviction of 65-year-old Gupta on insider
trading charges for supplying confidential in-
formation to jailed hedge fund boss Raj
Rajaratnam. The Harvard-educated Gupta
had suffered a major setback a district denied
his bid for a new trial, ruling that there was no
merit in Gupta's appeal.
Gupta was found guilty in June 2012 of
passing confidential information about
Goldman Sachs to his friend and business as-
sociate Rajaratnam just minutes after Gupta
exited Goldman's board meetings.Gupta was
sentenced to two years' imprisonment, to be
followed by a one-year term of supervised
release, and was ordered to pay a fine of
$5,000,000. He had been free on bail pending
decision on his appeal.
Rajat Gupta ordered to begin prison sentence in June
The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Vijay Sheshadri
Dr. Sudhir Parikh
Sant Chatwal pleads guilty to violatingUS electoral laws
New York: Indian-American hotelier Sant Singh
Chatwal Thursday pleaded guilty at a court here to
violating federal election campaign laws by using
straw donors to secretly funnel money to political
campaigns and will pay a million dollars to the US
as part of his plea agreement.
"Chatwal admitted that he used straw donors so
that he could gain access to the politicians, and he
coerced another person to hide his crime," said
Acting US Assistant Attorney General David
O'Neil.
Chatwal, 70, had raised at least $100,000 for
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008
presidential campaign against Barack Obama. He
pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York
to conspiring to violate the Federal Election Cam-
paign Act (the 'Election Act') by making more than
$180,000 in federal campaign donations to three
candidates through straw donors who were reim-
bursed and to witness tampering. There is no alle-
gation that the candidates participated in, or were
aware of, Chatwal's scheme, federal prosecutors
said.
"Chatwal's scheme sought to subvert the very
purpose of the Election Act. Chatwal then rolled
the dice to stymie the government's investigation,
thinking he could corruptly convince witnesses to
his federal election crimes to stay silent. That gam-
ble did not pay off," said US Attorney Loretta
Lynch.
According to court filings and facts presented
during the plea proceeding, Chatwal operated sev-
eral businesses, including restaurants, hotels, and
a hotel management company.
From 2007 to 2011, Chatwal used his employ-
ees, business associates, and contractors who
performed work on his hotels (the "Chatwal
Associates") to solicit campaign contributions on
Chatwal's behalf in support of various candidates
for federal office and PACs, collect these
contributions, and pay reimbursements for these
contributions. Chatwal was awarded Padma
Bhushan in 2010 for his role in the historic India-
US civilian nuclear deal. He heads the chain of the
upscale Hampshire Hotels.
A friend of the Clintons, SantChatwal reportedly used straw
donors to fund political campaigns.
6 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY
IN BRIEF
NYPD disbands unit that spied on MuslimsNew York: The New York Police Department
has abandoned a secretive program that dis-
patched plainclothes detectives into Muslim
neighborhoods to eavesdrop on conversations
and built detailed files on where people ate,
prayed and shopped, the department said.
The decision by the nation's largest police
force to shutter the surveillance program repre-
sents the first sign that William J Bratton, the
department's new commissioner, is backing
away from some of the post-9/11 intelligence-
gathering practices of his predecessor. The
move comes as the federal government recon-
siders and re-evaluates some of its post-9/11
policies, including the National Security
Agency's bulk data collection. The police de-
partment's tactics, which are the subject of two
federal lawsuits, drew criticism from civil
rights groups and a senior FBI official who said
they harmed national security by sowing mis-
trust for law enforcement in Muslim communi-
ties. The Demographics Unit, which dates to
2003 and was renamed the Zone Assessment
Unit in recent years, has been largely inactive
since Bratton took over in January, the depart-
ment's chief spokesman, Stephen Davis, said.
The unit's detectives were recently reassigned,
he said. "Understanding certain local demo-
graphics can be a useful factor when assessing
the threat information that comes into New
York City virtually on a daily basis,"
Davis said.
Havan in NY for Modi’s electoral success
India First Alliance (IFA) organized a ha-
van at the residence of Durana Singha at
Lindenhurst, New York April 13to propi-
tiate all gods, goddesses, nine planets and in-
voked blessings of Ganesha, the remover of
all obstacles with a view to ensure a re-
sounding victory of Narendra Modi in the
general elections in India.
The puja was conducted by Shastri Jagdish
Tripathi and ended with the chants of “Dhar-
ma Ki Jai Ho”; “Adharma Ka Nash Ho!”
Rajendra P. Singh welcomed the audience
and requested each and everyone in the audi-
ence to call friends and family members in
India - at least 50 people - and urge them to
conduct door to door campaign in their
neighborhood and ensure that they either
vote for Narendra Modi/BJP, Shiv Sena,
Akali Dali or any other member of the NDA.
Overseas Friends of NAMO host ‘Chai pe charcha’ in Calif.
Bay Area Indian community led by
Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP)
thronged Swagat Restaurant in Mil-
pitas, CA on April 2 to discuss BJP's Prime
Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's
prospects of becoming India's next Prime
minister. Though the program was to be a
discussion "Chai Pe Charcha" (over a cup of
tea) the overwhelming response turned it
into an all evening, dinner event.
Dr. Rajni Sarin, Co-Convener of Over-
seas Friends of BJP(Global), who had just
arrived from Delhi, was the chief guest. The
event was attended by over 100 strong Bay
Area community leaders.
Indian community in bay area has been
impressed with Shri Modi's bold initiatives
in improving Gujarat's growth and develop-
ment in economic and human index with his
selfless service. Indian community now ex-
pects Modi to duplicate the success at the
center to uplift the nation.
Dr. Rajni Sarin highlighted long list of
Modi's achievements in Gujarat and narrat-
ed her personal interaction with him, label-
ing him a workaholic with a clear vision and
plan of action for next 20 years.
Various community members spoke in
support of and to cheer Modi's mission 272+
and to wish him success. In a lively discus-
sion, which had 100% participation, they
provided many ideas and feedback to assure
that BJP's mission 272+ succeeds.
Chandru Bhambhra, Past President of
OFBJP (USA) said, “In these last few days,
our callings to our friends & relatives in India
asking them to go and vote for BJP would be
very effective. This is the best situation in
many years. It is either now or never!"
Ashwini Surpur of Yoga Bharti made a
powerful case to assure that India does not
lose this chance to pull India out of dol-
drums. She said, "India lost three chances by
not recognizing the talents of Subhash Chan-
dra Bose, Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel and Lal
Bahadur Shastri. We now have a fourth
chance and we should not miss this. This will
be a disaster for the country.”
Sanjay Tripathi, General Secretary
HSS(Bay Area) proudly announced that he is
leaving for India to campaign for BJP in his
hometown of Varanasi.
New York Life’s Navaratnam Theivakumar receives excellence awardNew York: Navaratnam
Theivakumar, a senior partner at
New York Life’s New Jersey Gen-
eral Office was honored last week
with the Brian H. Early Frontline
Excellence Award. Thevan, as he
is popularly known, received the
award at the 2014 GAMA Interna-
tional Awards Program held in
Nashville, TN, where industry
leaders from around the world
gathered to network and learn best
practices from top representatives
in the financial services industry.
The Brian H. Early Frontline
Excellence Award recognizes field
leaders who have shown exempla-
ry performance in their current
frontline positions and are consid-
ered to be the industry’s rising
leaders.
During his ten years as an agent
and seven years as a partner, he
has been honored with numerous
company and industry award in-
cluding membership in the Mil-
lion Dollar Round Table, an inter-
national, independent association
of the world’s leading life insur-
ance and financial services profes-
sionals.
MDRT membership is recog-
nized internationally as the stan-
dard of sales excellence in the life
insurance and financial services
business. In 2013, Theivakumar
received an International Manage-
ment Award recognizing excel-
lence in traditional and contempo-
rary field management throughout
the financial services industry
from GAMA International, a
worldwide association serving the
professional development needs
of more than 8,000 field leaders in
the insurance, investment and fi-
nancial services industry.
Theivakumar, began his career
in Bergen General Office as an
agent with New York Life in
March 1997.
He joined the New Jersey Gen-
eral Office in Saddlebrook as a
partner in 2007 and he currently
works out of New York Life’s
satellite office in Edison, NJ.
He resides in Princeton, NJ with
his wife Ruby and their three chil-
dren, Suran, Tharani and
Kirrupan.
NY seniors organize Art of Living/Way of Life seminar
On March 26 2014, New York sen-
iors organized a seminar on Art of
living/Way of Life by Shashikant
Patel and Gopi Udeshi at Shri Saneeswara
Temple at Bellerose Terrace Queens. Dr.
Jatin Kapadia, a well known pediatric doc-
tor, has studied Vedanta and Upanishad for
the last 20 years. As an outstanding speak-
er he teaches Bhagawat Geeta on weekends
at different venues in Tri-State area to all
age groups. His “Vedic” words added wis-
dom and refreshed mind. Seen here
FIACONA criticizes India’s PM, seeks free and fairLok Sabha elections
The newly elected national Executive
Board of the Federation of Indian
American Christian Organizations of
North America, Inc. (FIACONA) expressed
its desire, that the ongoing national elec-
tions in India should be held free and fair,
during its General Body meeting held in its
Washington DC office over the weekend.
FIACONA further urged the leaders of po-
litical parties there to be respectful of the
civil and social rights of every single citizen
of India, regardless of one’s religious or so-
cial affiliation.
While wishing all political parties best of
luck ahead of the elections, FIACONA
urged, Mr. Rajnath Singh, Ms. Sonia Gand-
hi, Ms. Jayalalitha, Mr. Karunanithi, Mr.
Mulayam Singh, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu,
Mr. Jagan Reddy, Mr. Kejeriwal, Ms.
Mayawati, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, Mr. Pat-
naik, Mr. Karat, Mr. Pawar, Mr. Sharat Ya-
dav, Mr. Chautala, Mr. Abdullah, Mr. Gow-
da, Mr. Shekar Tiwari and other leaders of
the national and regional political parties to
work for the unity of the nation and to heal
the division that has caused strife in the so-
ciety.
FIACONA expressed its disappointment
in the leadership of Dr. Manmohan Singh
and his government’s inability to meet sev-
eral challenges head on, in spite of the man-
date given to him, while recognizing his
contribution to, and the able management
of, the economy during his two terms as
Prime Minister.
The Board also pointed out that the cur-
rent President of FIACONA, Mr. Prabhu-
doss is denied visa to visit India by Dr.
Singh’s government since 2010, for sup-
porting the victims of Kandhammal vio-
lence in in the eastern Indian State of Oris-
sa during 2008.
(L to R): Prafulba Vaghela, GopiUdeshi, Dr Jatin Kapadia,Shidhar
and Shashikant Patel.
Shown at the awards ceremony at the GAMA International eventin Nashville, Tenn., (l-r) are: Nic Romero, Navaratnam
Theivakumar, Shane Swanson and Jason Early
Havan in progress
7April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
New York: Around 700 Indian
Americans have landed in India
and campaigning to make Naren-
dra Modi- the next prime minister.
The NRIs are visiting various
towns and villages urging people
to vote for Modi, Asian American
Store Owners' Association (AA-
SOA) Executive Director Vipul
Patel told reporters at in Vadodara,
Gujarat on Monday.
NRIs have also been addressing
meetings in various parts of the
country including Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh, West Bengal and other
states appealing people to vote for
Modi, he said, adding that the
NRIs feel that India needs a strong
leader like Modi to develop the
country.
Their work is being coordinated
by the Global Indians for Bharat
Vikas (GIBV), a group which
identifies itself as a non-religious,
non-political and non-profit or-
ganization formed by over 70 pro-
fessionals from over 10 states of
America, who had first gathered
in North Brunswick, New Jersey
in September 2013.
"In the last 12 years, Gujarat has
witnessed much development un-
der Modi as chief minister. Now,
we want him to replicate this de-
velopment elsewhere in the coun-
try," said scientist Dr Vasudev Pa-
tel, president of Gujarati Samaj at
Atlanta Georgia and general sec-
retary of South East Overseas
Friends of BJP.
"While campaigning for Modi
in Uttar Pradesh, I realized that
despite the state sending 80 MPs
and giving many prime ministers
to India, it has not seen any devel-
opment in the last six decades.
There are villages which still
yearn for power, roads, water and
education leave alone sanitation
issues.
Hence, we are supporting
Modi," said Ramesh Shah, trustee
of Gujarati Samaj of Houstan,
Texas.
Indian-Americans land inIndia to root for Modi
Washington, DC: Anil Kumar,
an Indian-American surgeon and
small business owner in Michigan
has filed papers as a Democratic
candidate in the race for the US
House of Representatives from
the state’s 11th Congressional dis-
trict.
Kumar, who has practised med-
icine in Metropolitan Detroit for
the past 30 years, has raised over
$600,000 to date, according to a
media release from his campaign.
“I’m running for Congress be-
cause we need leaders with fresh
ideas to get our state and our
economy, back on track,” said Ku-
mar.
“People are frustrated because
Washington isn’t working. Now
more than ever, we need to create
good-paying jobs, make educa-
tion affordable, protect Social Se-
curity and Medicare, and assure
healthcare is accessible to every-
one.”
Kumar, a women’s rights advo-
cate, said his campaign will prior-
itize solutions not partisan poli-
tics.
Growing up in a hard-working
middle class family taught Kumar
the values he will bring to Wash-
ington, the release said.
Meanwhile, the lone Indian-
American House member Ami
Bera Tuesday announced that his
campaign raised over $485,000 in
the first quarter of 2014. The cam-
paign has nearly $1.5 million cash
on hand.
The vast majority of Bera’s sup-
port is local, with 85 percent of in-
dividual donations this quarter
coming from California.
Additionally, more than 73 per-
cent of those contributions were
$100 or less, his campaign said.
“I am so grateful for the incred-
ible continued help from our
grassroots supporters who make
this campaign possible,” said
Bera, who represents California’s
Sacramento County in Congress.
“It’s just further confirmation
that Sacramento County families
want a problem solver who keeps
his promises and puts them ahead
of politics representing them in
Congress,” he said.
Surgeon Anil Kumar joins Congressionalrace; Bera raises close to half a million
Washington, DC: First ever Indian-American
Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri with cele-
brated Indian-American chef Maneet Chauhan
has been invited by the White House for its an-
nual Easter Egg Roll Celebrations.
The celebrations among other things would
feature 'yoga' sessions for the second consecu-
tive year. Easter Egg Roll will take place on
April 21 on the South Lawn of the White
House. The celebrations in support of the first
lady's 'Let's Move!' initiative is focused on pro-
moting health and wellness with the theme,
'Hop into Healthy, Swing into Shape'.
The day-long event is to be attended by some
30,000 people from across the country and will
feature live music, sports courts, cooking sta-
tions, storytelling and of course Easter egg
rolling. This year's special guest is 12-year-old
singing sensation Cam Anthony. Anthony will
sing the National Anthem as well as perform on
the Rock 'n' Egg Roll Stage.
Readers on the Storytime Stage will be Jim
Carrey, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri, for-
mer NFL player and NASA astronaut Leland
Melvin, DJ Lance Rock, Debby Ryan from the
Disney Channel's JESSIE and Sesame Street's
Mando, Rosita, Abby Cadabby and Cookie
Monster.
Chefs Maneet Chauhan, Alexandra Guar-
naschelli, Sam Kass, Marc Murphy, Charles
Phan, Super Sprowtz, and the Disney Channel
cast of JESSIE will prepare healthy eating
demonstrations in the Play with your Food sta-
tion. Previously the Executive Chef of several
notable restaurants including Vermilion Chica-
go and Vermilion New York, Maneet Chauhan
is featured as a judge on Chopped on the Food
Network and has appeared on The Next Iron
Chef, The View and Iron Chef America.
For the second consecutive year, the White
House has created a yoga garden for the occa-
sion. "Come enjoy a session of yoga from pro-
fessional instructors," the White House said.
Miss America Nina Davuluri, chef Maneet Chauhaninvited to White House Easter gala
Washington, DC: U.S.-In-
dia Business Council (USI-
BC) President Ron Somers
has resigned his post to
start a strategic consulting
practice. USIBC Executive
Vice President and Senior
Director Diane Farrell will
serve as Acting President
during the search for a re-
placement.
"With elections under-
way in India and a new
government forming, this is
the perfect time for me to
do what I have long
planned-hang out my shin-
gle," said Somers. "It's
been an incredibly reward-
ing experience to lead the
exceptional USIBC staff,
work with an outstanding
board, and advance the crit-
ical U.S.-India commercial
relationship."
"Ron has brought incred-
ible energy, experience,
and insight to the U.S.-In-
dia Business Council," said
MasterCard Worldwide
President and CEO and
USIBC Chair Ajay Banga.
"On behalf of the entire
board and staff, we want to
thank him for his remark-
able efforts and accom-
plishments."
U.S. Chamber Executive
Vice President David
Chavern praised Somers'
tenure as USIBC President:
"Ron has a strong record of
accomplishment and has
provided tremendous lead-
ership in his nearly ten
years with USIBC. We
wish him well in his future
endeavors."
USIBC President Ron Somers resigns
Ron Somers
Chef Maneet ChauhanNina Davuluri
Dr Anil Kumar to contestfrom 11th District
of Michigan
To start consulting practice; Exe VP Diane Farrell will be Acting President
8 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Washington, DC: A BJP-
led NDA government
would be "stronger, deci-
sive, transparent and pre-
dictable" and it would cre-
ate an investment friendly
environment, according to
a senior party leader.
"Restructuring, rejuve-
nating and re-strengthen-
ing the Indian economy
will be the top priority of
the NDA government,"
said BJP national
spokesperson Tarun Vijay,
who was invited by the
Overseas Friends of the
BJP to be the chief
guest at the BJP Foun-
dation Day events in Tampa and Florida. He
held a series of meetings including those with
corporate sector organized by the US India
Business Council and think-tanks.
In addition to meeting some US officials, he
also met several lawmakers including Indian-
American Congressman Ami Bera.
"The US business is ready to apply for
(Narendra) Modi visa. I told them that India's
new government, as our manifesto has said,
would be economy driven government," he
said. "Our priority would be to get more in-
vestment and more power to the manufacturing
sector. More investment in the infrastructure
sector. Strengthening our
industrial and trade poli-
cies. Strengthening small
and medium enterprises.
Barring FDI in retail, we
would be very happy to in-
vite investment in the core
sectors," he told the Amer-
ican businesses.
"One thing would be
guaranteed there will be
transparency, no corrup-
tion, predictability and
nothing like retrospective
policies on taxation," Vijay
assured them.
"It will be investment
friendly environment in
the new government,"
he said, adding that he got a very positive feed-
back from the American business communities
here.
During his meeting with members of the US
think-tank community, he was asked a pletho-
ra of questions on Gujarat, minority, human
rights and social issues, besides economy.
Modi's visa issue did pop up during the meet-
ing, he said. "I said this is for the US to decide.
He (Modi) never applied for visa. This is their
(American) problem and this is their baggage.
This is not our baggage. All our idea is that
both the great democracies must work strategi-
cally, but on equal terms," he said.
NDA government will create investment friendlyenvironment: BJP leader Tarun Vijay
New York: South Jersey-raised University of
the Arts grad Joe Menna is creating a design to
build the world’s largest statue in India, the As-
sociated Press reported.
As a staff artist at the U.S. Mint in Philadel-
phia, the 44-year-old sculptor has immortal-
ized the likes of Washington, Jefferson and
Teddy Roosevelt on U.S. dollar coins. Now
he’s helping make history, too.
A campaign in India to build the world’s
largest statue commissioned him to create a de-
sign. His likeness of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel,
who led hundreds of princely states to form the
modern nation, is the working model for a 597-
foot-tall colossus, part of a proposed $400 mil-
lion complex in Gujarat.
This Statue of Unity would be about twice
the height of the Statue of Liberty, taller than
Philadelphia City Hall, including William
Penn, and higher even than the Crazy Horse
slowly being carved out of a mountain in
South Dakota. And the Indian statue’s height
doesn’t even count its 60-foot-high base.
Count that and the monument would be about
two-thirds as tall as the Eiffel Tower.
American artist designing SardarPatel’s 597-foot statue
New York: New York's Indian American pros-
ecutor Preet Bharara has now taken on the
state's Governor Andrew M. Cuomo over his
decision to shutter an anti-corruption commis-
sion as part of a deal with legislators for an
ethics package.
Cuomo created the panel "with great fan-
fare,” shuttered it "unceremoniously,” said
Bharara in a radio interview as cited by News-
day, and "thinking people wonder why that
happened and want to get to the bottom of it."
"I think in the letter I sent to the commission
I said there was an appearance that cases were
bargained away in exchange for a political
deal," said the attorney. Bharara, an appointee
of President Barack Obama, indicated he was
troubled by reports of interference in the com-
mission's actions.
"I don't know what the facts are," Bharara
was quoted as saying on WNYC's "The Brian
Lehrer Show" April 10.
"What I can tell you is that it's impossible to
overstate the importance of independence on
the part of any investigative body."
Bharara, Newsday said, wouldn't rule out in-
vestigating whether Cuomo or his aides im-
properly intervened in activities undertaken by
the recently shuttered anti-corruption commis-
sion. Asked several times by Lehrer if he could
rule out investigating Cuomo's office, the pros-
ecutor said: "I'm not going to prejudge what
we'll be looking at."
Meanwhile, the governor downplayed criti-
cism of his decision to shutter the commission
saying "It was created to spur the legislation."
"I said repeatedly when the legislation was
passed the commission would be disbanded,"
he was quoted as saying by Newsday at a
Rochester news conference at about the same
time Bharara was on the radio.
Cuomo and legislators in closed-door negoti-
ations agreed to enact some election law
changes and toughen bribery statutes.
In exchange, the governor terminated the
commission that was originally slated to work
through the end of this year.
According to Newsday, Bharara's investiga-
tions of state legislators helped spark, in part,
the creation of the commission last year.
In letters to the commission, Bharara asked it
to "preserve all documents that may be under
your control" — including e-mails.
"We're going to look at the documents,"
Bharara was quoted as saying in an interview.
"We're going to see what the facts are, and if
there are questions that are appropriate to ask .
. . my office will ask those questions."
Preet Bharara has questionedGovernor Cuomo's decision to shut an
anti-corruption commission.
Washington, DC: Pentagon's new
religious guidelines are still discrim-
inatory as they impose "stifling" re-
quirements on religion observing
service members, according to 21
faith and interfaith groups.
These organizations, in a letter to
the Department of Defense, have
asked the Pentagon to consider fine-
tuning its revised instruction to bet-
ter accommodate religious practices.
The new guidelines require service
members to violate their religion
while accommodation requests are
pending and they are made to repeat-
edly apply for temporary waivers,
the letter which was also signed by
the Sikh Coalition said.
The letter states that these "sti-
fling" requirements "may needlessly
limit career opportunities, or, in
some cases, end careers."
"If a service member can graduate
from boot camp and successfully
perform his or her military duties,
their religion alone shouldn't be a
barrier to serving our country," said
Rajdeep Singh, director of Law and
Policy for the Sikh Coalition.
Since the Pentagon began restrict-
ing the ability of Sikhs to serve in the
US armed forces in 1981, only three
Sikhs, Major Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi,
Captain Tejdeep Singh Rattan and
Cpl Simran Preet Singh Lamba, have
received permission to serve in the
US Army while maintaining their ar-
ticles of faith.
Despite their achievements, in-
cluding promotions, awards, and two
successful deployments to
Afghanistan, their religious accom-
modations are neither permanent nor
guaranteed under the new guidelines,
must be constantly renewed and can
be taken away at any time even
shortly before retirement.
In their letter, the 21 faith and in-
terfaith organizations said as current-
ly drafted, revised instruction would
require religion observing service
members and prospective service
members to remove their head cov-
erings, cut their hair, or shave their
beards 'a violation of their religious
obligations' while their request to ac-
commodate these same religious
practices is pending.
"This is so, even if they are other-
wise qualified to serve and an ac-
commodation is unlikely to under-
mine safety or other necessary objec-
tives. We urge you to reconsider this
provision, which has the effect of
forcing some religion observing
service members to make an impos-
sible choice between their faith and
their chosen profession," the letter
said. Without further revisions, these
instructions will have an unwelcome
and unnecessary chilling effect on re-
ligious liberty and will limit opportu-
nities for talented individuals of faith
to serve in our nation's military, it
said. The signatories to the letter in-
clude Muslim Advocates, National
Council of Jewish Women, Sikh
American Legal Defense and Educa-
tion Fund (SALDEF), United
Methodist Church, General Board of
Church and Society.
'Pentagon's new religious guidelines still discriminatory'
BJP spokesperson Tarun Vijay was inFlorida for BJP Foundation Day events
Now Preet Bharara takes on Governor Cuomo
A working model of thestatue of Sardar Patelbeing sculpted by Joe
Menna (inset)
US AFFAIRS 9April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New York: Rent plus utilities are considered
affordable if take up no more than 30 percent
of a household’s income. But rising rents now
make that optimum more and more unattain-
able for middle-income families.
And we are not taking about the high cost
cities like New York and San Francisco. Ac-
cording to an analysis by Zillow, the real es-
tate website, reported in the New York Times,
in 90 cities across the nation the median rent
— not including utilities — was more than 30
percent of the median gross income.
In Chicago, rent as a percentage of income
has risen to 31 percent, from a historical aver-
age of 21 percent. In New Orleans, it has more
than doubled, to 35 percent from 14 percent.
Zillow calculated the historical average using
data from 1985 to 2000.
Nationally, half of all renters are now spend-
ing more than 30 percent of their income on
housing, according to a comprehensive Har-
vard study, up from 38 percent of renters in
2000. In December, Housing Secretary Shaun
Donovan declared “the worst rental afford-
ability crisis that this country has ever
known.” Apartment vacancy rates have
dropped so low that according to a research
firm, rents could rise, on average, as much as
4 percent this year, compared with 2.8 percent
last year. But rents are rising faster than that
in many cities even as overall inflation is run-
ning at little more than 1 percent annually.
One of the most expensive cities for renters
is Miami, where rents, on average, consume
43 percent of the typical household income,
up from a historical average of just over a
quarter. Part of the reason for the squeeze on
renters is simple demand — between 2007
and 2013 the US added, on net, about 6.2 mil-
lion tenants, compared with 208,000 home-
owners, said Stan Humphries, the chief econ-
omist of Zillow.
In many cities, rent is rising out of reach of working class
Boston: In a somber yet
uplifting ceremony
April 15 on the first an-
niversary of the Boston
Marathon bombings, the
victims killed in the at-
tacks were remembered,
while the courage and
compassion were
praised of those who
aided the survivors, both
soon after the deadly ex-
plosions and the ensuing
year.
“You have become the
face of America’s re-
solve, not unlike what happened in
9/11 .... for the whole world to
see,” said Vice President Joe
Biden, praising the city’s resilience
in the face of the bombings.
“People know all about you.
They know who you are, they
know your pride, they know your
courage, they know your resolve,
they know who you are,” Biden
said at the city’s John B. Hynes
Memorial Convention Center.
Leading off the ceremony at the
convention center, Rev. Liz Walk-
er, pastor of the Roxbury Presbyte-
rian Church and a former local
newscaster, spoke passionately
about a “rising’’ of human spirit
that would overcome the evil of
the bombings. Bombing survivor
Adrianne Haslet-Davis, a dancer
whose leg was amputated after the
blast, said, “The city has stood by
us, supported us, and helped us
heal.”
Governor Deval Patrick also
thanked first responders, the med-
ical community and civilians who
rushed to help.
And he repeatedly used the
phrase that “there are no strangers
here’’ to drive home his point that
the bombings had united the
region.
One year on, Boston Marathontragedy victims remembered
Washington: The
Washington Post and
Guardian have won the
Pulitzer Prize for public
service, among the most
prestigious awards in
journalism, for their sto-
ries based on National
Security Agency docu-
ments leaked by the for-
mer government con-
tractor Edward J. Snow-
den.
The British newspaper
was recognized for
"helping through aggres-
sive reporting to spark a
debate about the rela-
tionship between the government
and the public over issues of securi-
ty and privacy", Columbia Univer-
sity's Graduate School of Journal-
ism said.
The Post, meanwhile, was hon-
ored for its "authoritative and in-
sightful reports that helped the pub-
lic understand how the disclosures
fit into the larger framework of na-
tional security". In the category of
Breaking News Reporting, the jury
picked The Boston Globe "for its
exhaustive and empathetic cover-
age of the Boston Marathon bomb-
ings and the ensuing manhunt that
enveloped the city".
The prize for International Re-
porting went to Jason Szep and An-
drew R.C. Marshall of Reuters for
their coverage of the persecution of
the Muslim Rohingya minority
in Myanmar.
WaPo, Guardian share public service Pulitzer
The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Corporate Office: 385 Seneca Avenue, Ridgewood NY 11385
718.821.3182, www.AtlanticDialysis.Com
One of the Marathon bombing survivorspictured at the finishing line
The public service Pulitzer was shared bytwo newspapers for reporting on the NSAsurveillance programs based on leaks by
Edward Snoweden.
Washington: A 73-year-old former Ku Klux
Klan member accused of killing three people in
suburban Kansas city shootings Sunday will
face hate crime charges, US law enforcement
officials said Monday.
The federal and local law enforcement have
said the shooting at a Jewish community center
and a retirement home in Overland Park, a
Kansas City suburb in the US state of Kansas,
constituted a hate crime, Xinhua reported.
Frazier Glenn Cross (aka Frazier Glenn
Miller), who was arrested following the shoot-
ings, is a known white supremacist and known
affiliate of various hate groups. He will be
charged with first-degree murder on the state
and federal level and the prosecutors will also
pursue hate-crime charges against him.
"As Americans, we will continue to stand
united against this kind of terrible violence,
which has no place in our society," President
Obama said Monday in a statement on
Passover, a major Jewish festival celebrating
the deliverance of the Jewish people from slav-
ery in Egypt. Police have identified the victims
as Reat Griffin Underwood, 14, and his grand-
father, William Lewis Corporon, 69, and 53-
year-old occupational therapist Terri LaManno.
Anti-Jew shootings suspect to face hate crime charges
Frazier Glenn Cross is a known whitesupremacist
Bloomberg plans$50M gun control
networkNew York: Former NYC Mayor
Michael Bloomberg plans to
spend $50 million this year to
build a grassroots network to
challenge the National Rifle As-
sociation (NRA) and seek stricter
gun control laws.
Bloomberg tells the media he
wants to absorb the groups he
funds — Mayors Against Illegal
Guns and Moms Demand Action
for Gun Sense in America — un-
der an umbrella group called
Everytown for Gun Safety.
He says the strategy will focus
on expanding the background
check system for gun buyers at
the state and national levels.
The group will focus on 15
states, including pro-gun territo-
ries like Texas and where gun
control initiatives have advanced.
It has set a goal of signing up
one million new supporters this
year.
The NRA declined to comment.
10 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoBATTLEGROUND 2014
Erode/Kanyakumari: BJP's prime minis-
terial candidate Narendra Modi hit out at a
Congress woman minister from the state
for stalling infrastructural projects in
Tamil Nadu, and promised an economic
policy that would provide jobs to the
youth.
Addressing an election rally in Erode
town, known for its textiles and turmeric,
around 400 km from Chennai, the
Bharatiya Janata Party leader said: "The
economy would be reoriented with job
creation at the centre."
He said that after agriculture, it was the
textile sector that can provide a large num-
ber of jobs and it should be developed
with the right kind of infrastructure.
Stating that the BJP in its manifesto has
promised development of the handloom
sector, Modi, also
the Gujarat chief
minister, accused
the central govern-
ment of following
an economic policy
that took away jobs
from the youths
while investors set up
units in China and
other countries.
He said the general
election was special as
people would vote a
government that
works and also
for a decisive
and account-
able prime min-
ister who has a
voice of his
own within the
government.
Modi, who was on a two-day tour of
Tamil Nadu from Wednesday, spoke about
the power shortage in the state and said
that in Gujarat, load-shedding was a thing
of the past.
Modi said a woman minister - a Rajya
Sabha member of the Congress from
Tamil Nadu - was responsible for delaying
several infrastructure projects in the coun-
try. The nation was told that the projects
were held up for green reasons.
Infrastructure projects were stalled and
"Jayantiji tax" was levied on the pretext of
environment, he said, referring to former
union minister Jayanthi Natarajan.
Wooing first-time voters and the youths
in the age group of 18-28, the BJP leader
asked them not to waste five
years of their lives by not voting
for candidates of the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA).
He said the NDA will not only
change the face of the country
but also that of Tamil Nadu.
New Delhi: An estimated 116
million people voted peacefully
in the critical sixth round of par-
liamentary election to pick 121
MPs from 12 states on April 17,
officials said.
Barring stray incidents of vio-
lence and intimidation, the
gigantic exercise involving
1,767 contestants across the
length and breadth of the country
passed off smoothly, the Election
Commission said.
"Polling was generally peace-
ful and incident free," Deputy
Election Commissioner Vinod
Zutshi said after 11 hours of hec-
tic polling ended at 6 p.m. Only
in Manipur, balloting finished
two hours earlier.
Polling percentages varied
from a high of around 80 in West
Bengal to 54 in Madhya
Pradesh.
"After today's phase, a large
section of India has already
voted," said BJP's prime ministe-
rial candidate Narendra Modi.
"People have voted in the heat
and have voted for a strong gov-
ernment."
He added that the long queues
of first-time and women voters
"are positive steps".
Maoist guerrillas struck in
Jharkhand, exploding a land
mine at Bokaro in Giridih con-
stituency and injuring four para-
military troopers. They also blew
up a school building and a rail
track.
Allegations of voter intimida-
tion came from parts of Bihar
and West Bengal. The Election
Commission ordered repolling in
nine polling stations in Bihar.
Throughout the day, most of
the 225,387 polling centres saw
long queues of men and women
of all age groups eager to vote.
In most states, there was more
voting compared to 2009.
Thursday's election covered a
vast part of the Indian landscape
-- from Jammu and Kashmir in
the north to Karnataka in the
south, from Maharashtra along
the west coast to West Bengal in
the east.
Polling took place in all 28
Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka,
20 of the 25 in Rajasthan, 19 of
the 48 in Maharashtra, 11 seats
each in Odisha and Uttar
Pradesh, 10 in Madhya Pradesh,
seven in Bihar, six in Jharkhand,
four in West Bengal, three in
Chhattisgarh and one seat each
in Manipur and Jammu and
Kashmir.
Simultaneous balloting was
held for 77 of the 147 assembly
seats in Odisha and two assem-
bly bypolls in West Bengal.
With Thursday's round, polling
has been completed in 232 of the
543 seats in the Lok Sabha.
Thursday saw the largest num-
ber of Lok Sabha seats in con-
tention on any one day since the
staggered balloting started April
7. Four more rounds of voting
are due until May 12. The result
will be declared May 16.
Thursday was important both
for the BJP and the Congress,
which held 40 and 36 of the Lok
Sabha seats that went to the
polls, as well as the Janata Dal-
United, Jharkhand Mukti
Morcha, Janata Dal-Secular,
Shiv Sena, Maharashtra
Navnirman Sena, Aam Aadmi
Party, Biju Janata Dal,
Samajwadi Party, Bahujan
Samaj Party and Trinamool
Congress. The BJP claimed it
was confident of winning most
seats contested Thursday.
"We are sure of winning all 25
seats (in Rajasthan)," Chief
Minister Vasundhara Raje said in
Jaipur.
NDA's economic policy to focuson job creation: Modi
116 million vote in sixth round of Lok Sabha battle
Amethi (Uttar Pradesh):
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra slammed
estranged cousin Varun Gandhi for
the second time in three days, criti-
cising him for siding with the BJP,
and "betraying the family".
Talking to reporters in Amethi,
Priyanka accused the Bharatiya
Janata Party candidate from
Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency
of "betraying the family".
Her remarks came hours after
Varun Gandhi gave a warning that
his silence should not be construed
as weakness.
Varun, son of late Sanjay Gandhi,
pointed out at a rally after filing his
nomination papers that he had
never crossed the "Lakshman
Rekha" of decency.
Priyanka, however, said the two
were not engaged in a "family tea
party" but were in the middle of an
"ideological war".
A visibly upset Priyanka, daugh-
ter of Congress president Sonia
Gandhi and late former prime min-
ister Rajiv Gandhi, said she would
not have even forgiven her children
for being with a group that is out to
destroy the country's social and
secular fabric.
"My father laid down his life for
the unity of this country. How can I
take all this silently?" she said
when asked about her remarks
against her cousin.
Priyanka said she was not upset
over the leakage of her speech at a
closed door meeting a few days
back where she urged people to
vote against Varun and bring him
back to the right path.
Varun is contesting from
Sultanpur constituency neighbour-
ing Amethi and Rae Bareli, the
pocket boroughs of the Gandhi
family.
Varun betrayed the Gandhi family: Priyanka
BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during a rally in Erode, Tamil Nadu
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and BJP leader Varun Gandhi during elections rallies
Won't cross 'Lakshman Rekha' against family: Varun
Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh): BJP
leader Varun Gandhi efended his
decision to be with the BJP and
refused to criticize his cousin
Priyanka Gandhi despite her criti-
cism of him.
In a speech after filing his nom-
ination papers from Sultanpur,
Varun Gandhi took on Priyanka
Gandhi -- not by name though --
for saying that he (Varun) "has
gone astray from the right path".
"I have chosen a path which is
the path of the country, and I am
sure this is the correct path," he
said. He added that he will not
attack family members.
"I stick to my principles in pub-
lic life and will always adhere to
them... I will never cross the
'Lakshman Rekha'."
But he warned his estranged
cousins Priyanka and Rahul
Gandhi that his silence should
not be construed as weakness.
With Thursday's round, polling has been completed in 232 of the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha.
11April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info BATTLEGROUND 2014
Manmohan weakest PM ever: BJPNew Delhi: The BJP has called Manmohan Singh
the "weakest" prime minister ever, and asked him
to introspect how his tenure "impacted the institu-
tion".
Commenting on the book "The Accidental
Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of
Manmohan Singh" by the prime minister's former
media adviser Sanjaya Baru, veteran Bharatiya
Janata Party leader L.K. Advani said the book
endorsed what everyone knew -- that Manmohan
Singh was the weakest prime minister ever.
In a book that has sent ripples across the politi-
cal establishment for its timing and content,
Sanjaya Baru, media adviser to Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh in his first term, has said that
Congress president Sonia Gandhi slowly chipped
away at the authority of the Prime Minister's
Office. "The book has officially endorsed what
everyone knew. When I said I feel he (Manmohan
Singh) is the weakest prime minister ever, my col-
leagues said he is a nice man, why do you criticize
him so much," Advani said.
"I pity him, and have sympathy for him."
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun
Jaitley said Manmohan Singh must seriously
introspect as to how his tenure has impacted the
Prime Minister's Office as an institution.
"Manmohan Singh must seriously introspect as
to how his tenure impacted on the institution of
prime minister. Did he have the last word on all
subjects? Or is it the system of the original com-
munist states that was operating, where the party
general secretary was always more important than
the head of the government," Jaitley wrote in his
blog. "Prime ministers are known not by the num-
ber of years they have spent in office, but by the
footprints they leave behind," Jaitley said.
The Prime Minister's Office, meanwhile, dis-
missed as "baseless and mischievous" the claims
made by Baru in his book that its files were seen
by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
"The statement being attributed to a former
media adviser to the prime minister that PMO
files were seen by Congress president Sonia
Gandhi is completely baseless and mischievous. It
is categorically denied that any PMO file has ever
been shown to Sonia Gandhi," Pankaj Pachauri,
communications adviser to the prime minister,
said in a statement.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi
also defended Manmohan Singh and questioned
the timing of Baru's book.
"A person who writes a book during 2004-08,
and publishes it six years later is at the crossroads
of ambition, greed, sensationalism and a complete
disregard of ethical norms," Singhvi said.
"Not a single word of the allegations is true," he
said. Singhvi wondered why Baru remained silent
for six years in spite of the "huge illegality as he
claims has happened".
Modi attacks Rahul over 'toffee model'Hazaribagh/Bhagalpur: BJP's prime
ministerial candidate Narendra Modi
Tuesday took a dig at Congress vice presi-
dent Rahul Gandhi for his "toffee model"
jibe, and also regretted criticising Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh in the past.
"In such a big election, first they spoke of
balloons and now toffees... If he gets a tof-
fee, his day is made. But in my childhood, I
never even knew what a toffee was. I sold
tea to make ends meet," Modi said at a
rally in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand.
"I never had toffee in my mind when I
was a child... but I had trophies in my
mind. We have won over 300 trophies be it
from India or the world," the Bharatiya
Janata Party leader said.
Rahul Gandhi, in repeated attacks on the
Gujarat chief minister, had Monday termed
the Gujarat model of development a "toffee
model". "I call this the toffee development
model. Land as huge as Mumbai was given
away for Rs.30 crore in Gujarat," Gandhi
had said at a rally in Latur, Maharashtra.
"A toffee comes for Re.1... But in
Gujarat, land is given away for Re.1 per
square metre." Modi also used the opportu-
nity to stress that the BJP had several
prominent leaders, an indirect response to
the Congress allegation it was becoming a
one-man party.
"I thought this election will be fought on
serious issues. On one side are a galaxy of
leaders in the BJP like L.K. Advani,
Sushma Swaraj, Murli Manmohar Joshi,
and on the other side is a player who is still
behaving like a child," he said.
Modi regretted his attacks on Manmohan
Singh, saying that the Gandhi family, and
not the prime minister was to be blamed for
the nation's "ruin".
"I read in the papers that the prime minis-
ter's family is unhappy with Sanjay Baru's
book. His daughter said Baru betrayed him,
which means the facts are right," Modi said
Tuesday. "I may have said some hard-hit-
ting things about the prime minister, but
now I feel that I should not have said it as
the cause of ruin is just one family," he
said."Sometimes the daughter and son-in-
law were responsible, and everything was
taking place under the leadership of the
mother," Modi said, referring to Congress
president Sonia Gandhi. In Bhagalpur,
Bihar, he took a dig at Sonia Gandhi's tele-
vised message to the voters, saying it
showed COngress did not have confidence
in Rahul Gandhi.
"Soniaji felt her son would manage, but
since he can't she came on TV," he said.
BJP Prime Ministerial candidateNarendra Modi addresses public using3D hologram technique in Allahabad.
Manmohan Singh's former media adviserSanjaya Baru's book has sent ripples
across the political establishment for itsexplosive content.
12 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: In May 2012,
the Youth Congress boast-
ed of being the only organ-
isation in the world to have
more than 1.3 crore (13
million) members. Two
years later, when Congress
desperately needs this
youth wing in one of the
most difficult elections the
party has fought, it has
gone missing.
Ironically, party vice-
president Rahul Gandhi put
years of hard work
revamping and revitalising
the party’s youth wings —
the Youth Congress and the
National Students’ Union
of India (NSUI) — after
taking charge of these in
2008.
He spent a lot of time
democratizing the Youth
Congress by holding inter-
nal elections.
Within three years, the
number of members went
up to one crore and two
rounds of organisational
elections were conducted
in every state.
But unlike previous elec-
tions when Youth Congress
members would be unmis-
takably present at public
meetings with organisation
flags, running separate
enclosures, taking out their
own rallies, their presence
and enthusiasm is missing
this election, say party
insiders.
Seniors have started ask-
ing questions. They say the
youth wing is full of peo-
ple who prefer armchair
politics and shy away from
agitations and the heat and
dust of a campaign.
“Where is the Youth
Congress? Where are its
1.35 crore members? We
can’t see them at rallies or
even in the booths,” a sen-
ior Congress functionary
said, requesting anonymity.
“This is a tough election
for the party. They should
have been at the forefront.”
Officially, however, the
Congress sounds positive.
“Youth Congress, NSUI
and other frontals have put
in insurmountable energy,
trust and grassroots level
commitment in the
Congress campaign which
is resonating in constituen-
cies across the country,”
said Congress spokesman
and former Youth Congress
President Randeep Singh
Surjewala.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP) and its
allies are set to win a narrow
majority in the world's largest
democratic election, the latest
opinion poll showed this
week.
The Hindu nationalist opp-
position party, led by prime-
ministerial hopeful Narendra
Modi, and its allies have until
now been forecast to win the
largest chunk of the 543 par-
liamentary seats but fall short
of the 272-seat mark needed
for a majority.
That would force them to
seek a coalition with some of
India's increasingly powerful
regional parties.
But a poll for the private
news channel NDTV showed
the BJP and its allies winning
a narrow majority of 275
seats. That would be an
increase of 16 seats since the
last NDTV poll a little over a
week ago.
Indian elections are notori-
ously hard to call, however,
due to the country's diverse
electorate and a parliamen-
tary system in which local
candidates hold great sway.
Opinion polls in 2004
wrongly predicted victory for
a BJP-led alliance and in
2009 underestimated the win-
ning margin of the ruling
Congress party.
India's 815 million voters
are heading to the polls in
nine stages from April 7 to
May 12, with results due on
May 16. The latest NDTV-
Hansa Research opinion poll
surveyed voters in over 350
parliamentary constituencies
and had a margin of error or
plus or minus 2 percent.
The ruling Congress party,
led by the Nehru-Gandhi
dynasty, and its allies were
forecast to win just 111 par-
liamentary seats in the poll.
Congress faces a struggle to
be re-elected after a decade in
power due to public anger
over the economic slow-
down, high inflation and a
string of corruption scandals.
An opinion poll earlier this
month by the CNN-IBN news
channel and the Centre for
the Study of Developing
Societies, one of India's most
trusted polling groups, gave
between 234 and 246 seats to
the BJP and its allies.
Priyanka gets assertive,drives strategy
New Delhi: In a recent closed-door meeting,
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s key aides were jug-
gling ways to accommodate a long list of her
engagements. Scheduling a meeting with a
key party veteran — an expert back-channel
negotiator for Congress president Sonia
Gandhi and an ace alliance-maker — was
proving to be a problem. Priyanka intervened
quickly and told the team to give top priority
to that meeting even if it meant postponing
other ones.
This Congressman had failed to make a
smooth transition into the core team of her
brother and party vice-president Rahul
Gandhi. But since February, as Priyanka has
got deeply involved in the affairs of the
Congress, one of her first steps was to reach
out to old warhorses like him. A more
assertive, even aggressive, Priyanka is emerg-
ing. From strong words of advice to cousin
Varun Gandhi to taking on BJP’s PM candi-
date Narendra Modi to deciding on the party’s
overall campaign strategy, no major election-
related decision is taken without keeping her
in the loop.
Top sources claim that Priyanka played a
key role in shifting sitting Congress MP
Sanjay Singh from Sultanpur to an Assam
Rajya Sabha seat. She had organised
Congress’ Vikas Khoj Yatra in Gujarat to try
and expose Modi’s government’s failure in
social and certain economic indices. The
reports on the lack of development have now
become the party’s mainstay in its campaign
against Modi’s ‘Gujarat model’.
“She was very clear that the only way to
attack Modi was on development. She often
reminds us that the Congress still commands
around 40% votes in Gujarat,” said a Priyanka
associate. When in Delhi, she holds marathon
meetings with senior leaders almost daily.
While she lives in a Lutyens’ bungalow, she
prefers to manage party work from her broth-
er’s office at 12, Tughlaq Lane. This has also
resulted in the shift of poll strategy-related
activities from Congress ‘war room’ in 15,
Gurdwara Rakabganj Road to Rahul’s home.
Since February, Priyanka Gandhi has got deeply involved in the
affairs of the Congress
Rahul Gandhi’s young army missingLucknow: At a time when
politicians are engaged in a
vocabulary of violence —
from chopping to avenging
— the once-venomous
Bahujan Samaj Party leader
Mayawati is surprisingly
restrained.
People still remember her
televised exchange of barbs
with late Samajwadi Party
leader Ram Saran Das; they
had called each other
‘goonda-goondi’. They
recall too the belligerence
with which she had taken
on Vice President Hamid
Ansari compelling Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh
to intervene.
But the tenor of
Mayawati’s campaign is
surprisingly different this
election. Few believe she
— the ‘master’ of verbal
attacks — has mellowed.
When the BJP’s prime min-
isterial candidate Narendra
Modi said the Congress
‘disrespected’ BR
Ambedkar, she hit back
instantly, taking credit for
pressuring VP Singh to con-
fer Bharat Ratna on the
Dalit icon.
She also retaliated after
attempts to poach on her
core Dalit votes. And the
only time she went personal
was against Modi at a rally:
‘Jisne apni aurat ko saath
nahin rakkha, woh kaise
desh ka pradhan mantri ban
sakta (How can someone
who deserted his wife
become the country’s prime
minister)?’
But Mayawati has refused
to join the hate speech club,
concentrating on defrag-
menting the Dalit-Muslim
votes, wherein lies her
party’s future. In most of
her speeches she is caution-
ing Muslims of probable
communal flare-ups if Modi
becomes prime minister,
reminding them of
Muzaffarnagar riots during
SP’s regime and warning
Dalits against electing a
government that will with-
draw their reservation
rights.
A BSP leader sums it up:
“Behenji knows her
strength. She is not edgy
like others and has no need
to be abusive.”
Why has spitfire Mayawati gone calm
BATTLEGROUND 2014
BJP heading for majority:opinion poll
India's 815 million voters are heading to the polls in nine stages from April 7 to May 12,
with results due on May 16.
Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi
People still remember her televised exchange ofbarbs with opposition
13April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info OP-ED
Manmohan Singh : A good man let down by the partyBy Tarun Basu
Ihave an abiding memory of
Manmohan Singh. It goes far
back to the days when he was
not the prime minister, not even
the finance minister, when in the
early '90s he took transformation-
al steps to open up and liberalise
a collapsing Indian economy and
got his name etched in the history
of global economics.
It was at a child's birthday party
in a residential enclave dominated
by government officers where my
wife and I found ourselves stand-
ing next to a genial-looking Sikh
in casual shirt and trousers, and
his wife. After the cake was cut, I
nudged my wife and told her who
the Sikh gentleman was. She -
and most other guests - of course,
had not recognized him. He was,
I told her, the man just named as
the chief economic adviser to the
new prime minister, Chandra
Shekhar, who had replaced V.P.
Singh at the head of a minority
government propped up by the
Congress in November 1990.
Our hosts introduced the Singhs
as their neighbors. True to his
character, Manmohan did not
socialize much, smiled little, did
some perfunctory neighborly
small talk and left.
The quiet academic, who had
excelled both at Oxford and
Cambridge universities, was once
described by his alma mater, that
honoured him after he became the
prime minister, as someone who
left the "scholar's life in the
shade... to the dust and clamour
of the political battle (in India)",
driven by his "sense of duty to his
country".
Even as his career graph in the
next few years took this econom-
ics professor to dizzying levels of
responsibility - from finance min-
ister to member of the Congress
Working Committee to Leader of
Opposition in the Rajya Sabha to
prime minister - it did little to
change the taciturn man who
spoke only when spoken to and
who made little effort to strike up
a conversation or engage an audi-
ence with his views.
But all those who have worked
with him acknowledge him as a
man of scholarship, dedication,
intellect - the late national securi-
ty adviser J.N. Dixit had rated his
intellectual calibre "perhaps high-
er than Jawaharlal Nehru" - and
tremendous hard work, who spent
long hours into the night poring
over government papers and pon-
dering over policy moves.
On the last day of the 15th Lok
Sabha, which also happened to be
the last day in the House for
Manmohan Singh as prime minis-
ter, BJP leader Arun Jaitley paid
him tribute as a "man of scholar-
ship" who was not a "natural
leader" and who lacked the
capacity to be the "driving force"
for the government in parliament.
So, when senior Congress
leader P.C. Chacko remarked
recently that the "PM's silence
had given room to many
wrong interpretations
against the govern-
ment" and hinted that
many in the party
and govern-
men t
had
"lost patience over his silence"
and his failure to counter negative
media publicity and opposition
attacks, it seemed the Congress
was now laying the blame for the
party's erosion of popularity at his
door.
Jairam Ramesh has ascribed the
ruling party's plight to its failure
in "perception management" and
its inability to "sell effectively,
more aggressively" its perform-
ance track record.
Manmohan Singh himself
maintains that history will judge
him - and his government - far
better than his peers or the con-
temporary commentariat have
done. He continues to maintain,
quite contrary to popular percep-
tion of "policy paralysis", that "no
other decade has recorded as
much development as there has
been in the last 10 years" of the
UPA under his prime minister-
ship.
If Manmohan Singh were better
advised, especially in his second
term (Baru quit just before the
2009 election), Manmohan may
still have been the star brand on
whose work the Congress rode to
victory in 2009.
The failure of the government,
party and the prime minister him-
self to communicate its achieve-
ments and explain properly the
perceived failures was its single-
biggest undoing.
But, it is very clear that
Manmohan Singh in UPA-II was
not allowed to function and be his
own man. He was merely a pup-
pet on a string in the hands of
Sonia Gandhi and he allowed her
to influence, manipulate and use
him at will through her party
instruments.
Whatever credit was due to him
was deflected to Rahul Gandhi.
Manmohan Singh, in the words of
a Gandhi family associate of sev-
eral decades, chose to surrender
his authority and power at the
altar of loyalty and obligation to
the family that had anointed him.
Should Manmohan Singh have
quit when Rahul Gandhi derided
a cabinet decision as "nonsense"
even when he was in the US talk-
ing to President Obama? Baru
thinks by not doing so and pledg-
ing his fealty to the dynasty, he
had made a "fatal error of judge-
ment" and, in the process, "deval-
ued the office of prime minister".
And the Congress is trying to
do just that by denying him the
credit for the good work he did
and then scapegoating him when
things went wrong for the party.
Manmohan Singh himselfmaintains that history willjudge him - and his government - far better thanhis peers or the contemporary commentariat have done.
Elections
14 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoOP-ED
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Congress prepares for defeat, as smaller parties build castles around it By Saeed Naqvi
Ithought election 2014 would
come with nailbiting suspense
until I turned up at the Foreign
Correspondent’s Club on Mathura
Road where the Congress whiz kid
from Chicago, Sam Pitroda, was
holding court in a Tarpauline Tent
which looked like a parking lot for
camels.
Every now and then he would
throw up his hands and shrug his
shoulders in an expression of dis-
gust. “What can I do?” he would
ask in a state of despair. He was
lamenting the spectacular way in
which the Congress was about to
lose the elections.
According to him, Sonia Gandhi,
Manmohan Singh and Rahul
Gandhi refused to meet the press,
connect with the people, even when
the “opposition” campaign consist-
ed overwhelmingly of media man-
agement. He spelt out other reasons
for the coming debacle, among
them a singular lack of commitment
or application on the part of the
coteries around the trio. He
shrugged his shoulders again and
blurted out in Chicago accents:
“That’s what we gaat (got)”. He
repeated. “That’s what we gaat”. In
other words the human resource in
the service of the party was devoid
of talent.
Bifurcation of power between
Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh
was bad enough, but the emergence
of a third power centre, Rahul
Gandhi, after the party’s reasonable
showing in the 2009 elections,
turned out to be disastrous. Rahul
should have become a minister in
the Prime Minister’s office. That
way he would have learnt the sys-
tem, Pitroda said.
Instead, Rahul was persuaded by
his coterie to become the third
power centre. The three coteries
then proceeded not to talk to each
other. And now that defeat stares
Congressmen in the face, one
detects the beginnings of recrimina-
tion.
Is it not surprising that a confidant
of the Gandhi family should be
throwing in the towel in public view
a full month before the last polling
day?
The mood in the house of another
Gandhi loyalist was almost funere-
al. Also, a fierce blame-game had
begun:
“Manmohan Singh and his
Principal Secretary during UPA-I,
T.K.A. Nair lost their grip on the
administration. Officials down the
line stopped listening to us.
Gradually, a sense grew that there
was no government in Delhi.”
Congressmen have developed a
culture in recent years of backbiting
their seniors consistently and in
whispers. If you string together
these “whispers”, what emerges is a
disturbing narrative of the Congress
High Command and their coteries,
allowing power to slip out of their
hands, like a sand glass. What they
supervise today is a structure which
has been hollowed out. A coup of
sorts has already taken place.
Retired Supreme Court judges have
refused to head a committee to
investigate “snoopgate” against
Narendra Modi.
Army generals, senior bureaucra-
cy, including home secretaries, have
crossed over to their party of choice
on the morrow of their retirement. A
whole system has in its mind defect-
ed. No one heard Home Minister
Sushil Kumar Shinde when he went
around beating his breast that Home
Secretary R.K. Singh was not listen-
ing to him. The way Singh super-
vised Afzal Guru’s hanging in Tihar
jail was allegedly in violation of
Shinde’s instructions. Having
brought about closure of a case
which had its origins in the NDA,
Singh crossed over to the BJP.
Long knives are out even against
political colleagues like former law
minister, Hansraj Bhardwaj and
home minister, Shivraj Patil. During
UPA-I, they are alleged to have hes-
itated in taking timely action against
Modi in Gujarat. The implication of
this astonishing plaint is that the
two gents were closet Hindutva. If
that indeed is what the High
Command thought of them, why
were they gifted with comfortable
gubernatorial slots? In the cloak and
dagger world of courtly politics,
ministers of home and law respec-
tively must be kept in good humour.
They know too much.
Meanwhile, an ironical twist
attends the fate of the Congress.
While some of its own stalwarts
have thrown in the towel, warranti-
ng Sharad Pawar’s anxious plea that
it must fight harder, the Left Front’s
secret assessment is that the
Congress will win 135 seats. To
reinforce this line of optimism,
youth wings of the Left parties
including CPIML have been sent to
Varanasi to help Ajai Rai of the
Congress in his contest against
Modi and Arvind Kejriwal.
Powerful Muslim candidate
Mukhtar Ansari’s withdrawal from
Varanasi had tilted the scales in
Kejriwal’s favour. But the Left pri-
ority here seem to be not so much to
defeat Modi but to keep AAP in
check and also to hold out an olive
branch to the Congress for a possi-
ble post election game plan.
Will anything change in India with new prime minister? By Amit Kapoor
The mood for change in the
country is strong, and it is
imminent that we would have a
new prime minister and quite likely
with a significant majority. We are all
under the veil of the audacity of hope
thinking in assuming that the office of
the new prime minister will sway a
magic wand and things will immedi-
ately start remarkably improving.
The citizenry in the country is under
a wrong impression as nothing signif-
icantly will be changing in the gov-
ernment. We need to clearly under-
stand and appreciate that changing
someone in the PM’s office will not
change the government. We will have
a new set of ministers in the system,
and that is the limit to change. We
shall see as the government will still,
as always, be run by the bureaucracy
who would have the same set of ideas,
stuck in the past with exceedingly
shallow perspectives. Why do I make
such audacious statements? This is for
a simple reason that within the parlia-
mentary system very little changes.
We are subjected to the same tortur-
ous thought and ethos of the old
bureaucratic setup. We all know that
there is no change in bureaucracy
when the government changes. The
best we can see is the transfer of cer-
tain bureaucrats to different depart-
ments and this is as well seen as an
opportunity by the non-performing
and defunct mind of the bureaucrat.
To assert the point: we can clearly
state that millions within the govern-
ment still remain exactly the same.
The problem within the system is
that the government employees are
permanent (breeding incestuous
ideas) and have the most power (inci-
dentally brutal power with no
accountability). It is a well known,
though ignored, fact that it is really
the bureaucrats who run the govern-
ment. The problem gets accentuated
since the bureaucrat knows that he is
governed by higher ups in the bureau-
cracy with ministers having minimal
influence over their careers. Without a
doubt, civil servants will typically
cover each other's back with nobody
accepting ultimate responsibility and
accountability.
The understanding we need to build
in this country is that if we wish to
change the government than we need
to change the bureaucracy. We need to
imbibe from the US system wherein
the spoils go to the victorious. The
president in the US gets to appoint
everybody at the top and positions of
significance i.e., secretaries of various
departments (who are actually akin to
union ministers in India). The secre-
taries, in turn, fill the positions within
their staff by bringing in new thought
and perspectives. The most signifi-
cant reality of this idea is that the
bureaucrat in this case has not been
part of the governmental system and
is beholden by the idea of performing
and keeping to the mandate as assert-
ed by the president. What matters here
is that newer ideas come in with
incestuous tendencies being taken
care of and most of all having the
ability to fire a non-performing asset
called the bureaucrat. This also gets
rid of the inertia to explore the new
and getting to do new things. We can
rebut this logic by stating that new
people at the top shall cause chaos
though rather we should understand
that it is new ideas that bring in
change and take the country forward.
If India needs to change, then it
needs to change its bureaucracy and
effectively its civil services. We can
start with the idea of getting secre-
taries not from the existing system of
selected bureaucrats but through nom-
inations by the new prime minister.
What we might need is a special com-
mission that tries to understand and
work towards dismantling the archaic
bureaucracy, which is a remnant of
the Raj. The epical commission in in
itself shouldn’t be formed by bureau-
crats or former bureaucrats but by
normal people who have not worked
with civil servants, are outsiders on
secondment, but quite likely have suf-
fered from the hands of the tyrants.
Incidentally we could have Arvind
Kejriwal as the head of the commis-
sion as he understands the bureaucra-
cy, has suffered from its hands and it
could be an exceptional political
move from the next prime minister. I
just hope that Narendra Modi is lis-
tening to this and acts decisively. He
has run the election campaign akin to
a presidential campaign in the US,
and I do hope that he runs the govern-
ment in a similar way with an iron fist
by getting rid of the archaic thoughts
that are personified by the
bureaucracy.
Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute forCompetitiveness, and editor ofThinkers.
Bifurcation of powerbetween Sonia Gandhiand Manmohan Singhwas bad enough, butthe emergence of athird power centre,
Rahul Gandhi, afterthe party’s reasonableshowing in the 2009
elections, turned out tobe disastrous.
Changing someone in the PM’s office will not change the government. We will have a new set of ministers in the system,but we shall see that the government is still, as always, run by the bureaucracy who would have the same set of ideas, stuck
in the past with exceedingly shallow perspectives.
MUSIC 15April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Famous Carnatic vocalist Dr Shobana Vignesh is giving a classical music con-
cert for the first time in New York City on April 19. The concert in a Flushingschool is presented by New York Tamil Sangam to celebrate the Tamil New Year.
Dr. Shobana Vignesh is a Car-
natic vocalist from Tamil
Nadu who had stormed the
classical music scene as a child
prodigy. The Chennai-based grace-
ful lady has given hundreds of con-
certs and showcased her talent in
prestigious venues throughout the
world. Now she is coming to New
York City to give a concert arranged
by the New York Tamil Sangam.
The concert will be staged at An-
drew Jackson School in Flushing,
bear the Ganesh Temple, to cele-
brate the Tamil New Year- Chithirai
Thirunaal.
She is popularly known as ‘Ma-
hanadhi’ Shobana due to her stint as
a child actor and singer in the Na-
tional award winning Indian movie,
“Mahanadhi’ released in 1994.
As a leading performing artist, she
has cut more than 130 albums in
various Indian languages. She has
been trained in Carnatic music by
stalwarts like Sri. P.S.
Narayanaswamy, Prof. T.R. Subra-
maniam, and Sri. Swamimalai
Janakiraman. She has thus both mu-
sical legacy and phenomenal talent.
Mahanadhi Shobana’s voice has an
inherent blend of sweetness and
depth. She displays an astonishing-
ly expressive range, acquired no
doubt through meticulous training
and practice. As an internationally
renowned artist, Shobana has per-
formed in several parts of India, the
US, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri
Lanka. She is often featured by lead-
ing Television channels in India and
other countries and has been per-
forming concerts for the past two
decades. With the unique rendition
of traditional and time-honored Car-
natic music pieces and popular num-
bers from her albums, Shobana en-
thralls her audience with her rich
and mellifluous voice. Apart from
being a popular performing artist,
Shobana holds a Doctorate in Music
and has several publications to her
credit and two of them have been
adapted as book chapters. Her lec-
ture-demonstrations on Carnatic
Music are well received and she
captivates her audience with her in-
depth knowledge in the field and her
practical experience as a performer.
Dr Shobana’s PhD thesis, highly
commended, was titled: ‘A Compar-
ative Study of Western and South
Indian Operas.’ Her M Phil in Mu-
sic thesis, also highly commended,
was titled: ‘Interculturalism in Car-
natic Music, an Ethnomusicological
Perspective’.
As a leading performing artist, she has cut more than 130 albums invarious Indian languages and across genres such as Carnatic,fusion, devotional, semi-classical, folk songs and film music.
Albums across genresShobana rendered her first
audio album at the age of 12.
Since then 1,500 of her songs in
languages like Sanskrit, Hindi,
Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and
Kannada have been recorded in
over 130 albums. She has record-
ed these albums for leading
Indian audio companies such as
His Master ’s Voice (HMV),
Unique Recording Company,
Symphony Recording, Indian
Recording Company and Vani
Recording. Her albums cut across
different genres of music such as
Carnatic, fusion, devotional,
semi-classical, folk songs and
film music including nursery
rhymes for children in English.
She has also sung a poem written
by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the for-
mer President of India, and the
song is featured in the audio
album titled ‘India-A Musical
Journey.’ Shobana received two
nominations for the Global Indian
Music Awards in the year 2010
for her albums, ‘Live in Concert
Volumes 1 and 2.’
With the advent of iTunes,
Yahoo and MSN Music, etc, her
fans and well wishers can now
download hundreds of her songs
anywhere in the world.
Awards and TitlesDr Shobana Vignesh’s most
recent and notable achievement
has been the honor of receiving
the ‘Individual Artist Award’ for
2010 from the Maryland State
Arts Council, USA and a citation
from the Governor of Maryland,
USA for her artistic excellence in
the field of Carnatic music. Some
of other awards and titles con-
ferred on her include:
�Received the title of‘TAMIZHISAI VANI’ from the
Atlanta Tamil Sangam for her
excellence in spreading
Tamizhisai across the globe in
May 2011.
�Honored with the ‘YOUNGACHIEVER’ award in the field
of Carnatic music by the India
Today magazine in 2007.
�Awarded the 'JAYA RATNA'title by Jayadharini Trust,
Chennai during the December
music season 2007.
�Scholarship for ‘OUT-STANDING TALENTED
YOUNG ARTISTES’ (Vocal
Classical Music) by the Ministry
of Tourism and Culture,
Government of India from 2003-
2005.
�‘YUVA KALA BHARATHI’title by Bharath Kalachar award-
ed in the presence of Governor of
Tamil Nadu, Ram Mohan Rao, on
December 12th, 2003.
� ‘YOUNG ACHIEVER OFTHE YEAR 2002’ award by The
Cosmopolitan club of Madras
awarded by the Chief Justice of
High Court, Chennai, Subhashan
Reddy on April 17, 2002.
�Rukmani RamanathanMemorial Special Award for
‘EXCELLENCE IN CARNATIC
MUSIC’ for the year 1998-1999
by Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan
Senior Secondary School,
Chennai.
Publications and Seminars�Dr Shobana Vignesh’s pub-
lished a book chapter, entitled ‘A
Study on Dance Drama and
Musical Plays’ in the book, ‘The
Different dimensions of Dance
and Music.’
�Paper entitled 'South Indian
Operas and Western Operas-A
Survey' in the Journal
'Samakalika Sangeetham' in April
2009.
�Paper entitled ‘A Study onRamanatakam' in the Journal
'Naadhabrahmam' in January
2009.
�Presented a paper,'Contribution to the development
of South Indian Operas' in an
international conference in
February 2008.
�Presented a paper, 'Evolutionof South Indian and Western
Operas' in an international con-
ference in January 2008.
�Book Chapter entitled‘Music across Boundaries’ (Isai
Ellaigalai Kadandhu) in the book
‘A Collection of 50 essays’
(Katturai Kothu) published in
Tamil language.
Social Service ProgramsShobana is associated with vari-
ous non profits and charities in
India and the US and has con-
tributed in the form of performing
concerts for fund raising events
and annual conventions. Some of
the concerts include a fund rais-
ing show for free eye camps con-
ducted by Aravind Eye Hospital,
India, concerts for the Tamilnadu
Foundation across the US, per-
formance for the relief of
Tsunami victims at Chennai, con-
cert for the Cancer Institute,
Chennai, performance for an
AIDS Awareness album, charity
concert at Malaysia for the wel-
fare of spastic children and many
such events.
Shobana has rendered songs for
creating awareness of legal rights
among citizens, highlighting the
rights of women and various legal
help available for them from the
government. She was honored for
these services by the State Legal
Services Authority on Indian
Independence day celebrations at
the Bar Council by Chief Justice
of High Court, Subhashan Reddy
on August 15, 2003.
With the unique rendition oftraditional and time-honored
Carnatic music pieces andpopular numbers from heralbums, Shobana enthrallsher audience with her rich
and mellifluous voice.
16 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoFESTIVALS 17April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Vaisakhi or Baisakhi is a fes-
tival celebrated across the
northern Indian subconti-
nent, especially in the Punjab re-
gion by the Sikh community. More
recently, this festival is also cele-
brated around the world by Sikh di-
aspora. For the Sikh community
this festival commemorates the es-
tablishment of the Khalsa. It is also
celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists
for different reasons including the
start of a new year. People in the
Punjab region regard Vaisakhi as a
harvest festival. So its celebration
has been in the form of a coming to-
gether at a fair called Vaisakhi
where they would buy and sell, eat
and drink, and sing and dance. It
came to be called Vaisakhi because
it was celebrated in the month of
Vaisakh, which corresponds
roughly to the month of April.
Until 1699, Vaiskahi remained
just a socio-cultural festival. But in
1699, at the Vaisakhi fair at Anand-
pur Sahib, one of the five holy seats
of the Sikhs, the Tenth Master of the
Sikhs, Shri Guru Gobind Singh,
created a new sect known as Khalsa
which is known as Sikh religion
today and has a worldwide follow-
ing of 25 million, which makes it
the world's fifth major religion.
Since then Punjabis celebrate
Vaisakhi as traditional socio-cul-
tural event and as a religious event,
being the birthday of the Khalsa.
Swami Dayanand Saraswati
founded the Arya Samaj on
Vaisakhi in 1875.
Vaisakhi is an important day for
the Buddhists as well. The name is
Vesakha, Vaisakha, Vesak or
Wesak. It commemorates the Birth,
the Awakening and the Enlightened
Passing Away of Buddha who was
born as prince Siddhartha.
Many names for theIndian New Year
UgadiUgadi is celebrated as New
Year's Day in Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh. The name Ugadi
is derived from the name "Yuga
Adi", which means 'the beginning
of a new age'.[1] It is celebrated on
the first day of the Hindu month
Chaitra, which marks the onset of
spring.
Gudhi PadwaGudhi Padwa is celebrated as
New Year's Day in Maharashtra. It
is celebrated on the same day as
Ugadi i.e., the first day of the month
Chaitra. Courtyards of rural houses
are cleaned and plastered with fresh
cowdung. Designs called Rangolis
are drawn on doorsteps. People
wear new clothes and special dishes
are prepared. Lord Brahma is wor-
shipped on this day and the gudhi,
Brahma's flag, is hoisted in every
house as a symbolic representation
of Rama's victory over Ravana.
PuthanduPuthandu, also known as Varuda
pirappu, is celebrated as New Year's
Day in Tamil Nadu. It is celebrated
on the first day of the Tamil month
Chithirai, which falls on 14 April.
Women draw patterns called ko-
lams. A lamp called a kuttuvilaku is
placed on the center of the kolam,
to eradicate darkness. A ritual called
kanni takes place. Kanni means
'auspicious sight'. People watch
jewelry, fruits, vegetables, flowers,
nuts, rice etc., as it is a belief among
Tamil people that it brings prosper-
ity. People wear new clothes and
special dishes are prepared for the
occasion. A car festival is held at
Tiruvadamarudur, near Kum-
bakonam.
VishuVishu is celebrated as the New
Year's Day in Kerala. Vishu falls on
the first day of the
Malayalam month of
Medam (mid-April on
the Gregorian calendar).
It includes fireworks,
shopping for new clothes
and interesting displays
called 'Vishu Kani'.
These are arrangements
of flowers, grains, fruits,
cloth, gold, and money
are viewed early in the
morning, to ensure a
year of prosperity.
Rongali BihuRongali Bihu is cele-
brated as the Assamese New Year
(around April 14–15) and the ar-
rival of Spring. This marks the first
day of the Hindu solar calendar.
The first day of the bihu (last day of
the previous year) is called goru
bihu or cow bihu, where the cows
are washed, smeared with ground
turmeric, worshipped and get new
ropes. This is followed by manuh
bihu on April 15,which is the As-
samese New Year Day. People wel-
come the spring with cleaned
homes and neighborhood and new
dresses.
The third day is Gosai (Gods)
bihu when people worship statues
of god, all households are cleaned
and worshiped hoping for a pros-
perous and happy new year.
Compiled by Parveen Chopra
FESTIVALS
In 1699, at the Vaisakhi fair at AnandpurSahib in Punjab, Guru Gobind Singh created
Khalsa, known as Sikh religion today.
Lord Brahma’s gudhi, or flag, is hoisted as a symbolicrepresentation of Rama's victory over Ravana on this
Maharashtrian New Year Day.
A painting depicting the coronation of Lord Rama after his return from exile and victory over Ravana.
Punjabi families at the White House lawns forVaisakhi and Easter Egg Roll event last year.
Women draw patterns called kolams onthe Tamil New Year.
Influenced by Parswanatha, the 23rd Teerthankara,
Lord Mahavir carved his own path to find release
(Moksha) through Ahimsa and extreme renunciation.
In Jainism, Mahavir Jayanti is also known as Mahavir
Janma Kalyanak and is the most important religious hol-
iday for Jains. This year on April 13, Jains the world over
celebrated Mahavir Jayanti, birth of Lord Mahavir, the
apostle of peace and non-violence.
Lord Mahavir, also known as Vardhamana, was the last
of the 24 Tirthankars (Jain prophets). He was born on in
599 B.C. into a royal family of Kshatriyas to King Sid-
dhartha and queen Priyakarani, known as Trishala Devi.
His birthplace is believed to be near the modern city of
Patna in Bihar, then the democratic republic of Vaishali.
Legend has it that Trishala Devi had a number of aus-
picious dreams all signifying the coming of a great leader
or prophet. The astrologers who interpreted the dreams
seemed to have claimed that the child would become ei-
ther an emperor or a Tirthankar.
It is said at the age of eight Mahavir observed the 12
vows of Ahimsa etc. He also grew up to be a great states-
man but observed celibacy. He lived a life of truthfulness,
honesty and chastity. However, he perceived the transi-
tory pleasures of the world and engrossed himself in Self-
contemplation. He renounced the pleasures and luxuries
of the palace and its kingship, attachment to his parents
and friends and undertook a life of intense penance for
more than 12 years. He realized that renunciation was the
only means of attaining bliss. During his long penance
Mahavir went through a rigorous life of austerities, fasted
and meditated on the pure nature of the Soul. He calmly
bore not only the rigors of Nature but also the torments of
his jealous and sly opponents among his own country-
men. He finally attained self-enlightenment.
According to Kalpasutra (Svetambara texts), after the
final period of intensive fasting, Mahavir attained moksha
- the final liberation from all rebirths. He taught the idea
of supremacy of human life and stresses the importance
of the positive attitude of life. Lord Mahavir’s message of
Nonviolence (Ahimsa), Truth (Satya), Non Stealing
(Achaurya), Celibacy (Brahma Charya), and Non Posses-
sion (Aparigraha) is full of universal compassion.
Even 2500 years after the passing away of that great
Mater the pure and upright tradition of the monks has
been maintained. Even today, we find white clad Jain
monks and Sanyasinis spreading Mahavir’s Gospel of
Peace, non-injury and Brotherhood throughout India.
To celebrate Mahavir Jayanti, devotees visit temples to
meditate and offer prayers. Idols of Mahavir are given a
ceremonial bath or ‘Abhishek’. Sermons are held in the
temples to preach the path of virtue as defined by the Jain
doctrine. Donations are collected to promote missions
like saving cows from slaughter or helping to feed the
poor people. Even in the US, Mahavir Jayanti is widely
celebrated. A number of events are lined up in New Jer-
sey and Queens area of NYC, such as: International Jain
Sangh (IJS) Mahavir Jayanti Program on April 20 that in-
cludes Bhagwan Mahavir Pooja, Namokar Mantra Paath,
Rath Yaatra (Prince Vardhaman’s janm kalyanak on pan-
duk shila), Blessings from Spiritual Leaders, Jainism
messages from dignitaries and other leaders, and Cultural
Program. The program will commemorate the 2613th
birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir at 3050 Woodbridge
Avenue, Edison, NJ. Another cultural program, organized
by Jain Center of America (JCA) is scheduled on May 11
at Martin Van Buren High School Auditorium in Queens.
Mahavir Jayanti: birth anniversary ofthe apostle of peace
Passover or Pesach (in He-
brew) is the holiday celebrat-
ing the Exodus of the ancient
Israelites from their slavery in
Egypt. The specific "passing over"
for which the holiday is named
refers to the way in which God
passed over, or protected, the
homes of the Israelites during the
night they prepared to begin their
journey into freedom.
The central ritual of Passover, the
Seader (order) refers to the care-
fully ordered Passover dinner sym-
posium, typically performed by a
community or by multiple genera-
tions of a family, involving a
retelling of the story of the libera-
tion of the Israelites from slavery in
ancient Egypt -as mentioned in the
book of Exodus, the move from
slavery to freedom -- in story, song,
and conversation.
The evening is anchored by the
drinking, of four cups of wine re-
calling the four times when the Is-
raelites are described as being
redeemed, eating Matzah, and bitter
herbs, and other symbolic foods in-
cluding vegetable dipped in salt
water and hard boiled eggs.
While Passover marks the birth of
the Jewish people as a free nation, it
speaks to the larger human impulse
to be free, and that is why so many
people, both Jewish and not, cele-
brate the holiday.
In addition to the large number of
Jewish families which either in-
clude non-Jewish members or wel-
come non-Jewish guests to their
own Passover celebrations,
increasing numbers of Christian
communities celebrate their
own Seders, emulating what must
have been an important part of
Jesus’ life experience in the
first century.
The holiday known around the world as Easter Sunday
usually brings pleasant images to mind; family gather-
ings, egg hunts, and visits from the Easter bunny.
However, to Christians, Easter has a far deeper, sweeter
meaning. The day symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God.
The word Easter has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions
(paganism). It is derived from the Eastre, the Teutonic goddess
of spring. Eastre or Ostara in Germany is also the fertility god-
dess. Bringing in the end of winter, with the days brighter and
growing longer after the vernal equinox, Ostara had a passion
for new life. Her presence was felt in the flowering of plants
and the birth of babies, both animal and human. The rabbit
(with propensity for rapid reproduction) was her sacred animal.
Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny both featured in the spring
festivals of Ostara, which were initially held during the feasts
of the goddess Ishtar | Inanna.
Eggs — a symbol of rebirth — are considered representative
of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. In addition to egg hunts, some
people do egg rollings, which are symbolic of the rolling away
of the stone from Christ’s tomb.
The White House Easter Egg Roll is an annual family event
to hunt for and race Easter Eggs on the White House south
Lawn while enjoying storytelling and a visit with the Easter
Bunny. The holiday tradition has a long history dating back to
1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened
the White House grounds to local children for egg rolling on
Easter Monday. Successive Presidents have continued the tra-
dition of inviting children to the White House Lawn for egg
rolling and other activities and entertainment. Scheduled for
April 21, the 2014 event theme at the White House presided
over by the First lady is, “Hop into Healthy, Swing into Shape.”
Special guests will include Jim Carrey, Miss America 2014
Nina Davuluri, Ariana Grande, Cookie Monster and more.
In Manhattan, the Easter Parade tradition lives on for over
100 years, with Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street
being shut down during the day to traffic. Participants often
sport elaborately decorated bonnets and hats at the Easter Pa-
rade and Easer Bonnet festival.
It is believed that Easter processions have been a part of
Christianity since its earliest days. This year Easter Sunday pa-
rade will be held on April 20. Compiled by Jinal Shah
Eggs — a symbol of rebirth — are considered representative of Christ’s resurrection. The White
House Easter Egg Roll is an old tradition. Easter Sunday this year falls on April 20.
Easter symbolizes resurrection of Jesus
Passover marks birth of Jews
Passoverdatesthis yearhavebeenApril 14-22
To celebrate Mahavir Jayanti (it fell on April13 this year), devotees visit temples to
meditate and offer prayers. Idols of Mahavirare given a ceremonial bath or ‘Abhishek’.
Vaisakhi gives vent to theboisterous Punjabi spirit
Ramnavami
Ramnavami celebrates the
birth of Lord Rama to
King Dasharatha and
Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya. The
Hindus’ holy day falls in the
Shukla Paksha on the ninth day
of the month of Chaitra in the
Hindu calendar. At some places
the festival lasts the whole nine
days of the Navaratri. It is
marked by continuous recitals,
Akhand Paath, mostly of the Ra-
macharitamanas, with elaborate
bhajan, kirtan and distribution of
prasad after the puja and aarti.
Images of the infant Rama are
placed on cradles and rocked by
devotees.
18 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
Actress Sunny Leone, who is
riding high on the success of
her latest Bollywood project
"Ragini MMS 2", says she doesn't
look back with regret at her past as
an adult film star.
"As far as my career goes I don't
regret anything that I have done. I
believe that everything that I have
done has led me to today," Sunny told
reporters here Friday at the unveiling of
the cover page of Mandate magazine,
featuring her.
"This is the most amazing time of my
life and this would not have been happen-
ing if my past did not exist. So there are
no regrets regarding my profession," she
added.
The adult film star has been a
part of the Mumbai entertain-
ment industry since her 2011
appearance on "Bigg Boss
5". She made her
Bollywood debut with 2012
errotic thriller "Jism 2".
She will next be seen in
"Tina and Lolo".
Actress Sunny Leone
Actress Alia Bhatt says her father and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is possessive
about her, but adds that he has taken her on-screen kissing with Arjun
Kapoor in the forthcoming film "2 States" practically.
"Like every father, who don’t want their daughters to get married, even my father
is the same,” Alia said in a group interview.
“Recently, my father told us (Alia and her sister Shaheen) you all can’t go any-
where, I will lock you up in a room. He is honest and blunt about the fact that he
doesn't want us to get married.
“He is not saying just like that, he means it. He is very possessive and he doesn't
want me to get married. If my sister’s boyfriends get me some present, he would
say - even I can get presents, I will get you two," she added.
Currently, the actress is looking forward to her forthcoming film “2 States”.
SRK, Aamir,Salman pushedcinema globally: Big B
Megastar Amitabh
Bachchan has trav-
eled the world, meet-
ing cinema icons from all over.
He feels happy at the growing
reach of Indian movies and
says younger stars like Shah
Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and
Salman Khan deserve the cred-
it for realizing their potential
globally and pushing it in the
world.
Of course, filmmakers like
Satyajit Ray, Bimal Roy and
Mrinal Sen as well as actors
like Raj Kapoor meandered
their way into hearts across
boundaries with their craft, but
the visibility of Indian films -
Hindi and regional - currently
seems to be at an all-time high.
The movies are not just get-
ting screen space at interna-
tional film festivals but are also
getting theatrical releases in an
increasing number of non-tra-
ditional foreign markets like
Peru, Panama and Morocco.
That gives Amitabh, whom
French director François
Truffaut once called a "one-
man industry", a reason to
cheer."Internationally, it is very
heartening to see the interest in
Indian cinema," the 71-year-
old said.
He added that it is because of
works like "Kabhi Khushi
Kabhie Gham", which
"became an iconic film in the
western world", that it was
found that Indian films had a
potential abroad.
"Shah Rukh is as popular in
Germany as he is here, Hrithik
(Roshan) and Salman and
Aamir are loved internationally
in equal proportion. So, obvi-
ously Indian cinema is doing
well.
AliaBhatt
Superstar AmitabhBachchan
Captain America:
The Winter
Soldier" continues
to rule the US box office
in its second week after a
record breaking opening
last weekend with a $96.2
million collection. Marvel
studio's latest release, a
sequel to 2011 release
"Captain America: The
First Avenger", earned
$41.4 million in its second weekend of
release, which now brings the film's
domestic earnings to a total of $159 mil-
lion, reports contactmu-
sic.com.
"Winter Soldier" is also
proving to be successful
in the overseas market - it
has already raked in
$317.7 million in ticket
sales. In new instalment,
the plot occurs two years
after the events in New
York City, where Steve
Rogers struggles to
adjust to the modern world. He is involved
with 'S.H.I.E.L.D', even if he isn't con-
vinced about certain aspects of its ethics.
'Captain America' continues to rule US box office
'Captain America' continues torule US box office
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD 19April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Straightaway, this film wins you over
with its clean heart and straight-talk-
ing attitude to the rot that has set into
our governmental system.
You want a change in the nation's poli-
tics? Then change the politicians! It's really
as simple as that. Director Nitesh Tiwari
who co-directed the endearing kiddies' con-
coction "Chillar Party" finally unravels one
of the greatest mysteries of poetic life.
What did Wordsworth mean when he said,
'Child is the father of man'?
Watch little Parth Bhalerao spar effort-
lessly with the formidable Mr Bachchan.
And you see in front of your dazzled eyes
the future of Indian cinema. Parth simply
sails through his slum-kid's role, creating
for his character little pockets of perkiness
and poignancy without ever playing aggres-
sively for effect.
He speaks his lines with the casual grace
of a theatre veteran.
Epitome of gracious screen-sharing that
he is, Mr Bachchan simply slows down to
let his little co-star to take centrestage,
bowing to the little actor's
consummate naturalness
even when faced with
very adult problems like
corruption in politics, the redundancy of
democracy and yes, the validity and imper-
ativeness of the vote.
Firing a topical salvo this ballot drama is
speckled with some disarming display of
feisty homilies. The film builds on the
premise of a benign ghost's friendship with
the slum-kid without allowing the narrative
to become a flashy showcase for either of
the two actors' performing abilities.
The film has three heroes, the third being
the strong sometime over-assertive political
message: If you don't vote for the right peo-
ple you will end up with the wrong people
in the legislature.
Boman Irani as the slimy politician
enriches the political drama further by pro-
viding a tangy tangible flavor of decay and
corruption in this amiably contoured moral-
ity tale.
While the Big B and his little wunder-kid
of a co-star dominate the proceedings, they
get ample support from a bevy of talented
actors both known and unknowns who pop
up as ghosts, scumbags, poverty-stricken
people and other misfits.
'Main Tera Hero': Dhawan's 'son stroke' is full-on dhamaal
It's not easy being David Dhawan.
Over the last 20 years he has con-
stantly kept the laughter alive.
Having generated barrels of mirth
with Govinda and Salman Khan in
the past, now it is time for David's
son to have a blast. Playing Seenu,
the no-good wastrel who cons his
way through a series of outrageous
escapades, Varun Dhawan is to be
seen monkeying around in every
frame.
To his credit, the Dhawan scion car-
ries off the incessant demand on his
performing skills. Varun is a like a
Govinda on steroids. He pumps up
the energy level to the extent that
even his two discernibly dheeli-
dhaali heroines end up looking they
are having fun. It could be just an act.
We will never know. Every character
is in the wink-wink mode.
Cleverly David Dhawan builds on
Varun's contagious gusto. Scene after
scene gives the star-kid a chance to
flex his muscles and demonstrate his
skills at holding a frame up with
gravity-defying laughter.
"Main Tera Hero" is the kind of
loopy, askew-me plot that makes no
claims to any intellectual gratifica-
tion. Its naked, unassuming goofiness
is its greatest USP. And who goofier
than Varun Dhawan who starts off as
a student in a college where the cam-
pus beauty Ileana d'Cruz is an
untouchable. The neighbourhood
goon-like cop, played by Arunoday
Singh, has put a proprietorial seal on
her. To be honest Arunoday has the
most difficult part in this any-goes
comedy of hell-raising errors. He is
shown to be a goon in khaki with
serious anger-management issues.
One of the film's funniest
sequences shows him bashing in his
anger-management therapist, Ashwin
Mushran's face. I don't think this
sequence could have been part of the
original Telugu film ("Kandireega").
Writer Tushar Hiranandani updates
the original material, giving the plot
and the individual scenes a sense of
renewed animation and vigour.
The film is adroitly shot and edited.
Like the leading man's six-pack
abdomen, there is no flabbiness in the
storytelling. The characters do the
stupidest things with a brisk bravado.
Although the plot is skimpier than the
two heroines's costumes put together,
it derives terrific energy and suste-
nance from its leading man's zest for
life. The writing vacillates vibrantly
between the perky and the puerile.
What saves the day is the narrative's
gumption. David Dhawan doesn't
fear falling over as he hurls through
an abyss of absurdity.
The film is low on aspirations and
high on hi-jinks. Moving from
Mumbai to Bangkok, the plot is bol-
stered by a blizzard of low-brow
episodes. Even the song and dances
are engaging knick-knacks, more
memorable for being forgettable than
anything else.
You get the picture? One of the
songs commands "Palat! Tera dhyaan
kidhar hai?" "Hamara dhyaan bilkul
idhar hai, Dhawan Saab. Bright,
bouncy and colourful, the mad mad
world of David Dhawan's 20-year old
smile-a-while scheme gets a renewed
laugh-line in "Main Tera Hero".
While Varun Dhawan goes about the
task of filling up the screen with his
confident zest, David Dhawan
ensures there is enough fuel to fur-
nish the funnies with a furious tempo.
'Kochadiyaan' big stepforward for animation:Imran Khan
Actor Imran Khan, who gave voice-over for
animation film "Rio 2", says southern
matinee idol Rajinikanth's "Kochadiyaan"
marks a big leap for animation movies.
"The fact that a star as big as Rajini sir has taken
part in this (animation) process is obviously a big
step forward. That is the kind of thing that will
encourage other people also. If he can do it, we
can also do it," Imran, 31, said.
Pegged at $350 million, the Indian animation
industry is still struggling to find a firm foothold.
Talking about this, Imran said: "If you look
back, 10 years ago even in Hollywood it wasn't a
big thing. In the last 10 to 12 years, it has started
growing in Hollywood and became part of the
mainstream, so we have to give it a little bit of
time." "Talent is there in India. Most Holywood
films' graphics are being done in India. I am talk-
ing about films like 'Batman' and 'Superman' that
has happened in Mumbai. So, the talent is here,
but the budgets are not there," added the star of
"Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na".
Review
Amitabh Bachchan in the film 'Bhootnath Returns'
Varun Dhawan in a scene from 'Main Tera Hero'
Review
A scene from Rajinikanth's'Kochadiyaan'
20 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoDIASPORA
Canada Governor General honorsShiamak Davar
Vancouver: On April 4, Bollywood’s star cho-
reographer Shiamak Davar was presented with
the Governor General’s Medallion and Citation
for his role in connecting India and Canada by
forging new opportunities for cultural dia-
logues through his passion for the performing
arts.
“The purpose of the medallions is to recog-
nize the contributions made by a small number
of very special individuals to the India - Cana-
da relationship in a number of different fields”
said Consul General Richard Bale. “Shiamak is
a businessperson, he has opened dance schools
in Canada but his contribution is much more
than that. It is an extremely impressive cultur-
al contribution he has made, he has built a
bridge between Canada and India through
dance Mr. Shiamak Davar has long been an un-
official ambassador for Canada in India. He’s a
great friend of Canada who has brought Cana-
dians and Indians closer together through the
power of music and dance.”
“I am so honored and grateful to have re-
ceived the Governor General’s Medallion and
Citation”, said Shiamak Davar. “I consider
Canada my second home, which makes this es-
pecially meaningful for me. Dance has always
been a powerful influence in my life, and I am
so pleased to be able to use my passion for the
performing arts to create a common ground for
our nations.”
Shiamak opened his first international dance
studio in Canada before expanding throughout
North America, Australia and Europe.
Johannesburg: South Africans of Indian origin are the only
population group in Africa's second-largest economy to
have virtually doubled their presence in top management
positions in the past decade, according to an official study.
"The only solid and consistent progress in the percentages
of representation at Top Management level, between 2003
and 2013, takes place in the Indian sub-category of desig-
nated group members. This group virtually doubles its rep-
resentation," the Commission for Employment Equity
(CEE) Annual Report said. South African government in-
troduced Employment Equity laws to address the domina-
tion of white employees in top and senior management po-
sitions in the apartheid era before 1994. But the report says
there had not been significant change in this regard for the
majority Black or the Colored (mixed race) community.
"Unfair discrimination practices in the workplace have
London: An Indian-origin IT specialist at a
bank was on Friday sentenced to life for brutal-
ly murdering his wife with a vacuum cleaner
hose and then burning her body in a garden in-
cinerator to prevent her from revealing he was
gay. Jasvir Ram Ginday, 29, attacked his wife
Varkha Rani at their home with a metal pipe
from a vacuum cleaner just six months after an
arranged marriage ceremony in India.
He strangled the 24-year-old woman then
burnt her body in the garden incinerator, telling
a neighbor he had set fire to rubbish, Wolver-
hampton Crown Court heard.
Ginday had struggled "being a gay man in a
straight world," Judge John Warner told the
court during his summing up.
A jury of seven women and five men at
Wolverhampton Crown Court took around 17
hours to find Ginday guilty of murder after a
three-week trial. The court ruled this evening
that he will have to spend a minimum term of 21
years in jail before he can be considered for pa-
role. Senior investigating officer Detective
Chief Inspector Sarbjit Johal said: "Ginday got
married as a matter of convenience, he tricked a
poor innocent girl into marriage but was living
a lie.” "When she uncovered the truth he could
not live with it and killed her quickly then tried
to dispose of her body and her possessions by
burning them. Had another day passed before
police attended, Ginday may well have success-
fully removed all traces of Varkha.
Gay IT specialist jailed for life for brutally killing wife in UK
Registered NRI voters will have to waitfor future elections
New Delhi: NRIs who are registered voters in
India will not be able to vote from their foreign
locations as the Supreme Court on Friday ac-
cepted that the Election Commission faced
statutory and logistic impediments in extend-
ing overseas voting facilities to them.
Noting that election for some phases has al-
ready been completed, a bench of Justice KS
Radhakrishnan and Justice Vikramajit Sen said
that permitting the NRIs to vote in the remain-
ing six phases would open a "Pandora box" that
in some cases, some NRIs have been allowed
and not the others. Taking note of the practical
problems that confronted the poll panel even
though it was in the favor of extending voting
facilities to NRIs from their overseas locations,
Justice Radhakrishnsan told petitioner
Shamsheer VP that the "point you have raised
is favored by them (Election Commission) but
they have some practical difficulties."
Shamsheer VP has sought the reading down
of Section 20A of the Representation of the
People (Amendment) Act 2010 that mandates
the presence of the listed voter at the polling
station to cast his vote.
He had contended that any distinction be-
tween those physically present at polling booth
and those overseas would be violative of arti-
cle 19(1) as well as article 21 of the constitu-
tion.
The court noted that the Election Commis-
sion has already decided to constitute a com-
mittee to examine the feasibility of different
options that can be considered for facilitating
voting by overseas NRI electors as it adjourned
the hearing till August end for the committee to
complete its work and report to the court.
Allowing the application by Shamsheer to
amend his petition, the court in its order said:
"The respondents (Union of India and the Elec-
tion Commission) are permitted to file a com-
prehensive counter affidavit within a period of
two months."
"Report of the Committee be also filed be-
fore the court," the order said.
Pointing to the paucity of time in putting in
place arrangements for facilitating the NRIs to
exercise their votes from their overseas loca-
tions, the Election Commission said even for
permitting that amendment will have be made
to electoral laws to expand the special catego-
ry voters.
Bollywood choreographerShiamak Davar receiving the
Medallion and Citation
An event showcasing aselection of saris of dif-ferent regions, drapes
and textures, was organ-ized at the Embassy of
India in Berlin on April 7for Willkommen in Berlin(club of 400 women rep-resenting 100 nationali-ties, under the auspicesof Auswaertiges Amt).
Frau Daniela Schadt wasthe chief guest at the
event.
South African Indians only groupto grow in employment equity
led to under-utilization of the greater
portion of the productive population of
South Africa," Labor Minister Mildred
Oliphant said at the release of the re-
port at a conference here.The report
showed that South Africa's skewed
racial make-up of the workplace re-
mained relatively constant with an
over-representation of Whites at 62.7
per cent, nearly five times their eco-
nomically active population (EAP) and
nearly double the sum of all Blacks at
Top Management level.
This is followed by Africans with
19.8 per cent representation, while In-
dians make up 8.3 per cent, more than
double their EAP when compared to
Africans and Colored within the Black
Group. Coloreds make up 5.1 per cent
of the representation at the Top Man-
agement level.
21April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info SUBCONTINENT
India, Pak may resume dialogue after electionsIslamabad: India and Pakistan hope to resume
their composite dialogue once the Indian parlia-
mentary election ends, Pakistan's envoy to the US
has said.
Jalil Abbas Jilani also said in a talk at Harvard
University that there was increasing awareness in
both countries that there can be no military solu-
tion to their problems.
The News International newspaper reported
that Jilani spoke on "Pakistan-India Relations,
The Way Ahead". It was the inaugural event for
the Harvard Kennedy School's annual South Asia
Week. Giving a brief overview of the main prob-
lems affecting India-Pakistan relations, Jilani said
positive changes had taken place and concrete
steps had been taken to improve bilateral ties.
A career diplomat who served in India as
charge d’affaires from where he was expelled in
2003 during high tensions, Jilani talked about the
growing desire for peace.
"There is also a realization that no country can
achieve its economic goals while in a state of ten-
sion with its neighbors," the daily quoted him as
saying.
He said there had been "good progress on con-
fidence building measures like the Jammu and
Kashmir bus service, cross-border trade and
meeting points for divided Kashmiri families".
He said student exchanges needed to be
increased.
Jilani was hopeful that the resumption of the
composite dialogue, suspended since January
2013, and Pakistan’s grant of the Most Favoured
Nation status to India would start to progress
once India’s general elections get over.
India's ongoing parliamentary elections, which
began April 7, end May 12. The results are
expected May 16, with most pundits predicting
that the BJP will finish ahead of everyone else.
Trade between the two countries was steadily
improving, Jilani said. It now stands at $3 billion.
"If the barriers are lifted, it could rise to over
$10 billion over the next few years," he said.
The visa regime between the two countries
needs to be liberalized, Jilani added.
He said it was unfortunate that India had intro-
duced stringent rules that made it difficult for the
poor in remote areas in Pakistan to apply for visas
as these had to be submitted online.
Pakistani expatriates were required to renounce
their Pakistani nationality to apply for an Indian
visa on their foreign passports, he said.
Jalil Abbas Jilani, Pakistan's envoy to the US
Indian Army participated in the Sri Lankan government's 2008-2009 operation against the rebel Tamil organization LTTE.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has
declined to entertain a plea for a
Special Investigative Team (SIT)
probe into the alleged "clandestine"
role of the Indian Army in the Sri
Lankan government's 2008-2009
operation against the rebel Tamil
organization LTTE.
"There are issues which are
absolutely beyond the domain of the
court and this is one of them," said a
bench of Justice R.M. Lodha and
Justice Kurian Joseph as it dis-
missed the plea.
Asking the petitioner, advocate V.
Ram Sankar to approach the compe-
tent authorities, the court asked him
"not to bring the court in this arena.
What can we do"."This is not a mat-
ter of judicial review. Absolutely
not. How such an issue can be gone
into?" Justice Lodha said as Sankar
persisted with his plea for a court-
monitored SIT probe.
Expressing its ability to entertain
the plea from any angle, the court
said: "Court is not equipped to go
into the issues which have different
ramifications and political shades."
Declining the plea, it said: "This is
not a fit case for judicial review and
writ petition is dismissed." The peti-
tion was later withdrawn. Sankar,
who is secretary of Delhi Tamil
Advocate Association, in his peti-
tion sought the SIT probe into "clan-
destine method in which govern-
ment of India has been collaborating
with, aiding and abetting the Sri
Lankan government and its armed
forces against the Tamil minority in
Sri Lank in 2008 and 2009", result-
ing in the loss of life of 40,000
Tamilian and other innocent people.
SC rejects plea to probeIndian army's role in Lanka
Lahore: Will Narendra Modi win?
Will India get a stable government?
What are Arvind Kejriwal's
prospects? Is the Congress fin-
ished? The questions fly thick and
fast in Pakistan, where interest in
India's ongoing parliamentary elec-
tion runs high, for once overriding
questions on all other issues includ-
ing Kashmir.
An IANS journalist who visited
Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital,
to cover the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion
Week, was bombarded with dozens
of questions on the world's largest
electoral exercise.
There was not a single question
on Kashmir!
Many Pakistanis have their
favorites in the Indian political
landscape. Clearly, Narendra Modi,
the BJP's prime ministerial candi-
date, is not the most liked Indian
politician.
A c t i v i s t - t u r n e d - p o l i t i c i a n
Kejriwal's popularity has tran-
scended the borders. He is a
favorite with many in Pakistan.
"I would like to see Arvind
Kejriwal heading the Delhi govern-
ment again," businessman Hardeep
Khullar, a Pakistani Hindu, told
IANS.
"I think whatever he did during
his short stint (as chief minister) is
commendable," said Khullar.
Naved Siddiqui, a 40-year-old
working in the hospitality sector,
agreed, comparing Kejriwal with
cricketer-turned-politician Imran
Khan whose Pakistan Tehreek-e-
Insaf (PTI) once created ripples
like the AAP.
"We see a similar spark in
Kejriwal," said Siddiqui. "His Aam
Aadmi Party did wonders even dur-
ing the short stint. I want him to
win because I like his ideology."
Many Pakistanis seemed to see
Kejriwal as a young and energetic
leader who has his heart in the right
place. "Kejriwal is the youngest of
the lot. So I want him to win," 22-
year-old fashionista Anum Sana
told IANS, quickly adding that she
would also like Modi to win "since
he is a bachelor".
Congress vice president Rahul
Gandhi is out of the reckoning as
far as Pakistanis are concerned.
Despite the publicity he is gar-
nering, Modi remains an enigma in
Pakistan.
Nawazzudin Khan, a young
entrepreneur and PR consultant,
felt that the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) had erred by declaring Modi
its prime ministerial candidate.
"Modi is still struggling to wash
away the blot of Gujarat's riots of
2002," said Khan. "Also, his atti-
tude towards the Muslim 'topi'
(skullcap) is something that is not
appreciated here."
Interestingly, most Pakistanis feel
that India won't get a stable gov-
ernment even after this Lok Sabha
election, notwithstanding the hue
and cry over a possible Modi-led
BJP victory.
"I guess it's going to be a 'khichdi
sarkar' in India, a coalition govern-
ment, instead of a single party gov-
ernment," felt Ghulam Allauddin,
an Islamabad resident.
"But, yes, Modi is emerging
stronger," he added.
Amarpreet Ahluwalia, a Pakistani
Sikh who lives in Karachi, felt
political parties were wasting too
much money on the election cam-
paign. "I have been hearing a lot of
songs on 'Modi ki Sarkar'. They
(BJP) have spent so much money
on advertisement. I wish they
spend this kind of money on the
common man," he said.
Indian election elicits keen interest in Pakistan
Islamabad: Pakistan has urged
the Afghanistan government and
the NATO to put in place strong
measures for better management
of Pakistan-Afghanistan border to
check illegal cross-border move-
ment. Tasnim Aslam, Pakistan's
Foreign Office spokesperson, said
the country has carried an extra
burden regarding the protection
and management of the border,
and Afghanistan and NATO forces
must do the same on the other side
of the border.
Pakistan and Afghanistan share
nearly 2,500 km long border.
"Pakistan has more than 12,000
posts to undertake surveillance.
The country is also keen to intro-
duce biometric system but we also
want equally strong measures
from NATO and Afghan sides for
management of the border," the
spokesman said.
Pak urgesAfghanistan, NATO tostrengthen border
management
Many Pakistanis have their favorites in the Indian political landscape.
INTERNATIONAL22 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India calls for safeguarding interests of Ukraine's people
Moscow/New Delhi: Amid esca-
lating tension in Ukraine caused
by pro-Russian separatists, India
has urged for restraint and for a
political and diplomatic solution
that would "safeguard the legiti-
mate interests of all sections of
Ukraine's population" and coun-
tries in the region.
Indian Foreign Secretary
Sujatha Singh, visiting here April
15-17, "reiterated India's posi-
tion, calling on all sides to exer-
cise restraint and work together
constructively to find political
and diplomatic solutions that
would safeguard the legitimate
interests of all sections of
Ukraine's population, of all coun-
tries in the region and of long
term peace and stability in
Europe and beyond", said a state-
ment from the Indian embassy in
Moscow. During talks with her
counterparts, Vladimir Titov,
first deputy foreign minister, and
Aigor Morgulov, deputy foreign
minister, the two sides expressed
hope that the talks involving
Russia, Ukraine, the US and the
EU in Geneva "would make a
positive contribution in this
direction".
Earlier, both Russian officials
conveyed their "perspectives on
the ongoing developments in
Ukraine", where pro-Russia sep-
aratists have strengthened their
grip on several towns in eastern
Ukraine and are demanding a ref-
erendum on joining Russia, in a
Crimea-like situation.
Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh
Washington: US President Barack
Obama once again warned Russia
against further destabilizing
Ukraine. Obama said that it was
"absolutely clear" that Russia had
violated Ukraine's sovereignty and
territorial integrity by annexing
Crimea last month and was continu-
ing to do so by supporting "non-
state militias" in eastern Ukraine.
"What I've said consistently is that
each time Russia takes these kinds
of steps, that are designed to desta-
bilise Ukraine and violate their sov-
ereignty, that there are going to be
consequences," Obama added.
Washington has targeted a number
of key Russian and Crimean offi-
cials as well as a Russian bank fol-
lowing Moscow's move on Crimea.
Obama signed an executive order
in March authorizing expanded
sanctions against more individuals
and entities as well as key sectors of
Russia's economy including energy,
banking, mining and defence.
The Ukrainian government
Monday night launched military
operations to flush out pro-Russian
militants occupying government
buildings in the eastern part of the
country, leaving at least four people
dead. "The sharp escalation of the
conflict" had placed Ukraine "in
effect on the verge of civil war,"
Russian President Vladimir Putin
told German Chancellor Angela
Merkel.Moscow has rejected accu-
sations that Russia was destabilizing
Ukraine.
Barack Obama said that it was "absolutely clear" that Russia had violated Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial
integrity by annexing Crimea
Obama warns Russia over Ukraine
Seoul: At least four people
were killed while 284 went
missing as a ferry, carrying
462 people most of them
being school children, sank
in waters off South Korean
coast, local media reported.
The students were bound
for a holiday island.
The 6,825-tonne passen-
ger ship "SEWOL" cap-
sized and sank into waters
off the Jindo Island, just off
the southwest corner of the
Korean Peninsula, at
around 11.30 a.m.
Wednesday.
The ship sent out a dis-
tress signal at 8.52 a.m. and
had floated in the waters for
some two and a half hours
with its body being on the
careen.
Four people, including a
22-year-old female crew
member and three high
school students, were found
dead as of 9 p.m. local time,
with 174 people confirmed
rescued and 284 others still
missing.
The toll continued to rise
as hundreds of passengers
remained missing around
nine hours after the ship
sank deep into the waters.
The number of death was
expected to surge as people
in the waters can endure
hypothermia only for three
hours.
Among the 174 people
confirmed rescued, 78 were
high school students. A total
of 55 people were trans-
ferred to nearby hospitals,
but they had minor injuries.
According to the head-
quarters's statistics, the
ferry carried 30 crew mem-
bers and 432 passengers,
including 325 high school
students and 15 teachers
who had been on the way
for a school journey.
The ship had departed
from South Korea's western
port city of Incheon
Tuesday night, heading for
the southern resort island of
Jeju. The ship, according to
rescued passengers, began
to careen to the port side
after making a banging
sound on the bow. The ferry
went off the pre-arranged
sea route as it departed
some two and a half hours
later than scheduled due to
a thick fog, they added.
Four dead, 284 missing in South Korea ferry sinking
London: With the number of atheists rocket-
ing in UK and the attendance in Churches
nose diving, prime minister David Cameron
has asked Britons to be unashamedly "evan-
gelical" about its Christian faith as
Christianity could transform the "spiritual,
physical and moral" state of Britain.
In a declaration of his personal beliefs, he
said he was "evangelical" and announced that
he wanted to see a bigger role for religion in
Britain.
He said he had experienced the "healing
power" of religion in his own life.
"For people who do have a faith, that faith
can be a guide or a helpful prod in the right
direction," he said.
"I believe we should be more
confident about our status as a
Christian country, more ambi-
tious about expanding the role
of faith-based organizations and
frankly more evangelical about
a faith that compels us to get out
there and make a difference to
people's lives".
He further said "First, being
more confident about our status as
a Christian country does not some-
how involve doing down other faiths
or passing judgment on those with no
faith at all. Many people tell me it is easier
to be Jewish or Muslim in Britain than in a
secular country precisely because the
tolerance that Christianity demands
of our society provides greater space for other
religious faiths too. Crucially the Christian
values of responsibility, hard work, charity,
compassion, humility and love are shared by
people of every faith and none - and we
should be confident in standing up to defend
them".
Cameron's push for religion in UK comes at
a time when latest data released by the Church
of England shows it is attracting fewer than
800,000 people to its churches on a typical
Sunday mass. Even more worrying is that the
number of Christians fell by 4.1 million over
10 years in UK. This decline is fastest among
youngsters-32% of those under 25 saying they
had no religious belief.
Cameron announced that the
government is investing £20
million in repairing "our great
cathedrals" but also giving £8
million to the Near
Neighbors program which
brings faith communities
together in supporting local
projects.
Cameron urges Britons to beunashamedly “evangelical”
The 6,825-ton passenger ship capsized and sankinto waters off the Jindo Island
British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
BUSINESS 23April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Corporate Americacommitted to long-term
investment in IndiaWashington: Corporate America has reaffirmed US
companies' commitment to India's growth and focus
on reviving investor sentiment and cross-border col-
laboration in the first year after India's elections.
The US-India Business Council (USIBC), com-
prised of more than 350 of the top-tier US and Indian
companies, made the reaffirmation at a meeting in
New York with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
governor, Raghuram Rajan.
The private meeting was attended by top execu-
tives from global financial services companies and
institutional investors, USIBC said.
They included industry heavyweights like KKR
Co-Chairman Henry Kravis, Harold "Terry"
McGraw, Chairman, McGraw Hill Financial.
It was chaired by Charles "Chip" Kaye, Co-CEO of
leading private equity firm Warburg Pincus.
The industry representatives heard from Rajan the
challenges RBI faces in taming inflation while pro-
moting the growth necessary to keep the engine of
India's economy thriving, all in the midst of factors
beyond the respected institution's control, USIBC
said. USIBC members noted their strong support for
RBI's financial sector reforms including actions to
further deepen India's debt capital markets toward
long-term infrastructure development and manage
risk, it said.
In addition to continued banking reforms, the con-
tributions of non-bank financial companies (NBFCs)
to the real economy - including those wholly-owned
by foreign direct investment (FDI) - were raised.
USIBC said it also discussed with Rajan the impor-
tance of a vibrant payments industry with competi-
tion and dialogue spurring further innovations in
mobile banking, prepaid, and cash transfer remit-
tances for SME businesses and individuals.
USIBC members, it said, welcomed the Governor's
insight on opportunities for meaningful US-India
collaboration in the financial sector.
"American investors are grateful for the Reserve
Bank of India's leadership of the Indian economy,"
said USIBC Director for Financial Policy Melissa
Frakman.
Pace, direction of reformswill fix India's ratings: S&P
New Delhi: The direction and
pace of policy reforms of the
new government that assumes
office after the Lok Sabha polls
will determine India's sovereign
ratings, international agency
Standard & Poor's (S&P) said.
“The direction and pace of pol-
icy reforms, more than which
political party takes control, can
affect the ratings on the sover-
eign,” S&P said in its latest
reports.
According to the reports, the
outcome of India's general elec-
tions can provide an insight into
the political stability, ability, and
willingness of the new govern-
ment to implement reforms for
boosting economic growth.
Two reports in which the
agency made the observations
are titled "India's Election Is
Pivotal For Its Sovereign
Creditworthiness" and "The New
Government's Reform Policies
Will Be Critical To The Credit
Profile Of Indian Corporates
And Banks”.
Standard & Poor's has a BBB-
rating on India with a negative
outlook. This is the lowest
investment grade rating. A
downgrade will give India's sov-
ereign ratings a “junk status”.
In its earlier report the S&P
had warned of the risks of a rat-
ings downgrade in the absence
of structural reforms, fiscal con-
solidation and if economic
growth decelerates further.
"We believe that the current
political landscape in India sug-
gests that no single party could
win an outright majority," said
S&P sovereign credit analyst
Kim Eng Tan.
“An important factor is how
fragmented the government will
be. The more parties involved in
the next coalition government,
the more likely policies will be
incoherent and less supportive of
credit attributes.”
G-20 pushes US to ratifyIMF reforms by yearend
Washington: Expressing
disappointment at the con-
t inued delay over
Internat ional Monetary
Fund's quota and gover-
nance reforms that would
give emerging economies,
including India, a greater
voice, the G-20 has given
the US a yearend deadline
to ratify them.
"If the 2010 reforms are
not ratified by year-end,
we will call on the IMF to
build on its existing work
and develop options for
next steps," the finance
ministers and central bank
governors f rom the
world's leading economies
said.
The group wil l then
work with the Fund's
International Finance and
Monetary Committee "to
schedule a discussion of
these options," they said
in a communique after a
meeting on the sidelines
of the IMF-World Bank
spring meetings here.
The finance chiefs said
they were "deeply disap-
pointed with the continued
delay in progressing the
IMF quota and governance
reforms agreed to in 2010
and the 15th General
Review of Quotas (GRQ)
including a new quota for-
mula."
The reforms would dou-
ble the IMF's resources
and increase the voting
power of emerging
economies like the BRICS
- Brazi l , Russia, India,
China and South Africa.
"We are committed to
maintaining a strong and
adequately resourced
IMF," they said.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor,Raghuram Rajan
Bangalore: With a whopping
Rs.30,000 crore ($5 billion) in its
reserves, cash-rich Infosys has decid-
ed to share a part of its wealth with
its lucky investors by increasing its
dividend to 40 percent of post-tax
profits from 30 percent it was paying
since inception in 1981.
"As our reserves, including cash
and cash equivalents crossed
Rs.30,000 crore ($5 billion) for the
full year (2013-14), the board has
decided to increase the dividend pay-
out ratio to 40 percent to our
investors," Infosys chief financial
officer Rajiv Bansal told IANS here
Tuesday.
The board's decision will be subject
to approval of shareholders at its
annual general meeting in June.
Having paid an interim dividend of
(400 percent) Rs.20 per share of Rs.5
face value for the first half (April-
September) of fiscal 2014, the global
software major has declared a final
dividend Rs.43 per share (860 per-
cent) for second half (October-
March) of the just-concluded fiscal.
The total dividend pay-out for the
fiscal will be Rs.63 or a whopping
1,260 percent to the investors,
including institutional, retail, promot-
ers and employees through stock
options.
"The final dividend outgo for thesecond half will be 40 percent
(Rs.4,259 crore) of our net profit of
Rs.10,648 crore for the fiscal under
review," Bansal said.
The total dividend pay-out for the fiscal will be Rs.63 or a whopping 1,260 percent to the investors
Cash-rich Infosys gifts higher dividend to investors
SPORTS
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has
said N. Srinivasan's name features
in the list of the 13 people named by
Mudgal Committee in the IPL bet-
ting scam and he cannot take charge
if the Board of Control for Cricket
in India (BCCI) has to conduct an
inquiry on its own in the scandal
that rocked Indian cricket last year.
Though the apex court admitted
that all the charges are yet to be ver-
ified, it said that if the BCCI is
given powers to investigate then it
has to be done without Srinivasan at
the top.
Supreme Court had removed
Srinivasan as the BCCI president
and put Sunil Gavasakar as the
interim president in-charge of the
IPL and senior vice-president
Shivlal Yadav in-charge of rest of
the affairs.
The apex court bench of Justice
A.K. Patnaik and Justice Fakkir
Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla said:
"Having come to know the nature of
allegations, we cannot close our
eyes."
Disclosing the content of
a report in a sealed cover
by retired Justice Mukul
Mudgal, Justice Patnaik
said there are 13 peo-
ple against whom
allegations are
there and
Srinivasan's names is 13th.
"There are 13 names. Srinivasan's
is the last name. The twelve others
are very important... we are not con-
cerned with Lalit Modi or
Srinivasan. We are concerned with
BCCI. There are 12 allegations. All
these allegations were told to
Srinivasan. But no action was taken.
That means that he didn't take these
allegations seriously. That
means to his knowl-
edge these things
were happen-
ing," Justice
Patnaik said.
The bench
stressed on
the institu-
t i o n a l
autonomy
of the
BCCI and
said: "If the
BCCI
has to be given power to investigate
then it has to be done without
Srinivasan and till investigation is
complete Srinivasan will not come
back. If there is an SIT (Special
Investigation Team), things will be
different. But IPL must go on."
Asking the BCCI to reflect on the
options given by it for probing the
allegations and come back, the court
adjourned hearing and directed its
listing on April 22, 2014.
The court also passed the
order retaining Sunder
Raman after Gavaskar
told the court to take
a call on the issue.
Srinivasan among 13 named by Mudgal panel: SC
Abu Dhabi: The seventh edition of the lucra-
tive Indian Premier League (IPL) went under-
way here this week with allegations of corrup-
tion and spot-fixing looming over it.
The first 20 matches, from Wednesday to
April 30, will be played in the UAE as the
dates were clashing with India's General
Election. The Twenty20 bandwagon will return
home for matches scheduled from May 2-June
1.
The organizers are hoping that cricket takes
the centre stage and not drama and scandals --
as in the last edition.
The Supreme Court, which appointed leg-
endary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar to over-
see the seventh edition of the IPL, would also
be keeping tabs on the happenings.
Off-field issues aside, IPL-7 promises to be a
closely fought affair. Fresh auctions earlier in
the year saw the merry-go-round of players
and every franchise has a fair sprinkling of
new faces, though most of them have been reg-
ulars in the tournament.
Many iconic players find themselves in new
company, making opponents in yesteryears
comrades today.
For one, Yuvraj Singh, who cost the Royal
Challengers a small fortune, will, along with
his India teammate and franchise captain Virat
Kohli, look to right the wrong of the World
T20 final where he choked against the wily Sri
Lanka attack. With prolific batsmen Chris
Gayle and AB de Villiers, besides Yuvraj and
Kohli, RCB, without doubt, have the most dan-
gerous batting line-up.
Delhi Daredevils, too, spent big and pur-
chased the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Kevin
Pietersen. With the new purchases on board,
the GMR-owned team is expected to do better,
having had a dismal season last year, finishing
at the bottom of the ladder.
Mumbai will be without their talisman and
city icon Sachin Tendulkar but with some key
additions like Mike Hussey and Corey
Anderson, they would look to repeating last
year's winning performance.
Rajasthan Royals, the team most affected by
the spot-fixing and betting charges, will be
without Indian cricket's great wall Rahul
Dravid, but he will be around to advise them.
After winning in 2012, the Kolkata Knight
Riders couldn't quite carry the same form into
the following season, failing to qualify for the
playoffs and finishing a disappointing seventh
in the nine-team league.
The Knight Riders, though, have made some
very smart buys this year. They have brought
in Australian pacer Pat Cummins and Indians
Piyush Chawla and Umesh Yadav to strengthen
their bowling which was a major issue
last year.
IPL kicked off in UAE under shadow of graft
24 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Shuttler Bhatadvances to NewZealand GP semis
Auckland: Recently crowned German
Open Grand Prix Gold winner Arvind
Bhat came out with another fantastic
performance to enter the men's singles
semifinal of the $50,000 New Zealand
Badminton Open Grand Prix here.
The fifth seeded Bhat beat
Malaysian third seed Chun Seang Tan
in 56 minutes to win the quarterfinal
clash 22-20, 9-21, 21-18 in their first
match at the North Shore Events
Centre.
Earlier in the day, the Banglorean
beat another Malaysian Tang Jie Chen
21-8, 21-14 in 21 minutes to proceed
to the last eight. The Indian has a
tough ask ahead as he will take on
Chinese Taipei's top seed Jen Hao Hsu
against whom Bhat has a 1-2 career
record.
Meanwhile, second seed Sourabh
Varma, who hails from Dhar in
Madhya Pradesh, was upset by
Chinese Taipei's 14th seed Kuei Chun
Shih in the third round. Kuei won their
first encounter 21-18, 21-15
in 38 minutes.
IPL: Kohli, Yuvraj take RCBhome against Daredevils
Former BCCIchief N.
Srinivasan hasmoved the apex
court seeking hisrestoration
Sharjah: A fantastic partnership
between Virat Kohli and Yuvraj
Singh guided the Royal Challengers
Bangalore to a convincing eight
wicket win over the Delhi
Daredevils in the second match of
the Indian Premier League (IPL) at
the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here.
The Bangalore-based team
reached their target of 146 with 3.2
overs to spare. Yuvraj with skipper
Kohli struck an unbeaten 84-run
third wicket partnership in only 7.5
overs to take their team home in an
emphatic fashion.
Lately criticised by many for
India's loss in the World Twenty20
final recently to Sri Lanka, Yuvraj
found form in the opening clash to
hit 52 not out in only 29 deliveries
at a staggering strike rate of 179.31.
The southpaw also hit five huge
sixes and three fours all over the
ground.
He was assisted well by Kohli,
who hit the winning run, as he
remained unbeaten on 49 off 38
balls, hitting three sixes and two
fours.
At the start of their innings,
Australian opener Nic Maddinson
perished early in the second over for
six runs but wicketkeeper-batsman
and opener Parthiv Patel played a
responsible knock of 37 off 29
deliveries before being bowled by
leggie Rahul Sharma.
From 62/2 in the ninth over, it was
a Kohli and
Y u v r a j
s h o w .
T o w a r d s
the end, the
duo hurried
towards the
target hit-
ting a flur-
ry of sixes
and the
Daredevils
b o w l e r s
had no
reply to
r e s t r i c t
them.
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli
The first 20 matches will be played in the UAE as the dates were clashing withIndia's General Election.
25April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info PERSONAL FINANCE
8th article in the series
Making charitable contribu-
tions is an easy and effec-
tive way to lower your
taxes. You are eligible to take a
deduction for contributions or gifts
made to certain qualified organiza-
tions. The contributions can either
be in the form of money or proper-
ty. You must file Form 1040, U.S.
Individual Income Tax Return, and
itemize deductions on Schedule A,
Itemized Deductions, to take advan-
tage of this deduction.
Listed below is more information
on charitable deductions
Contributions in GeneralA charitable contribution is a
donation or gift to, or for use by, a
qualified organization. It is volun-
tary and is made without getting, or
expecting to get, anything of equal
value in return. Deductible charita-
ble contributions include money or
property given to qualified organi-
zations, your out-of-pocket expens-
es when you serve as a volunteer
for a qualified organization, and
certain expenses you pay for a stu-
dent living with you who is spon-
sored by a qualified
organization.Deductible charitable
contributions do not include the fol-
lowing, even if given to a qualified
organization:
�Cost of raffle, bingo, or lotterytickets Dues, fees, or bills paid to
country clubs, lodges, fraternal
orders, or similar organizations
�Tuition
�Value of your time or services
�Value of blood given to a bloodbank
Qualified OrganizationsYou can deduct contributions
made to a qualified organization. To
be considered qualified, most
organizations (other than churches)
must apply to the IRS. Local
fundraisers for community mem-
bers in need of assistance will not
be considered qualified organiza-
tions unless they have been
approved as such by the IRS.
Examples of some qualifiedcharitable organizations includethe following:�Churches, synagogues, tem-
ples, mosques, and other religious
organizations
�Most nonprofit organizations,such as Salvation Army, Red Cross,
CARE, Goodwill Industries, United
Way, Boys and Girls Clubs of
America.
�Nonprofit hospitals and med-ical research organizations
�Nonprofit schools
�Most nonprofit, educationalorganizations such as Future
Business Leaders of America, 4-H
Club, and Junior Achievement
�Nonprofit volunteer firedepartments
�Public parks and recreationfacilities
�War veterans' groups such asDisabled American Veterans and
Purple Heart
�Federal, state, and local gov-ernments if your contribution is
solely for public purposes, such as a
gift to reduce the public debt
Some examples of non-qualifiedorganizations:�Homeowners' associations
�Political groups or candidatesfor public office
�Organizations whose purposeis to lobby for law changes
�Individuals
�Organizations run for personalprofit
�Civic leagues, social clubs andsports clubs
�Labor unions
�Chambers of commerce
�Foreign organizations exceptcertain Canadian, Israeli, and
Mexican charities
Date of Contribution Usually, you may deduct charita-
ble contributions only in the year
they were actually made. A check
that you mail is considered deliv-
ered on the date you mailed it. A
contribution charged on a credit
card is deductible in the year you
make the charge. The amount of
your deduction may be limited
depending on the type of property
given and the type of organization
to which it is given. Some contribu-
tions that you are not able to deduct
in the current year because of
adjusted gross income limits may
be carried over to future years.
Item (Non-cash)Donations
Extra tax deductions may be as
close as your closet. If you donated
clothing, toys, furniture, or other
household items to charity, you are
allowed to deduct the fair market
value of your donated items.
However, no deduction is allowed
for these items unless they are in at
least good used condition. The IRS
does not provide a guide to deter-
mine the fair market value suggest-
ing, instead, taxpayers survey thrift
and consignment stores for similar
items to provide an indication of
the item's fair market value.
Generally, the deduction for prop-
erty contributed is equal to the fair
market value of the property at the
time of the contribution. Different
rules may apply if the value of the
property has increased or for vehi-
cle donations.
IRS Publication 561, Determining
the Value of Donated Property, pro-
vides general IRS guidelines on
noncash donations.
You can verify the organizations
eligibility before you make a dona-
tion by going to IRS.gov and
checking the Exempt Organizations
Select Check database maintained
by the IRS.
Vehicle DonationsIf you donate a qualified vehicle
valued at more than $500, you will
not be allowed to take a charitable
deduction unless you get a written
acknowledgement of the contribu-
tion from the charitable organiza-
tion (usually within 30 days) and
include the acknowledgement with
your tax return. The amount of your
deduction is limited by the organi-
zation's use of the vehicle. If the
charitable organization sells the
donated vehicle without having sig-
nificantly used the vehicle for char-
itable purposes, generally your
charitable deduction cannot be
greater than the amount the organi-
zation received from the sale of the
vehicle. If the organization uses the
vehicle for charitable purposes, you
should be able to deduct the fair
market value of the vehicle imme-
diately preceding your donation.
The organization should issue a
Form 1098-C to provide you with
the required information. For this
purpose, qualified vehicles include
motor vehicles, boats, and aircraft.
IRS Publication 4303, A Donor'sGuide to Car Donations, providesgeneral IRS guidelines on cardonations.
The author is an eminent CPAwith over 25 years of experienceand having 25 offices in Nassau,Suffolk and Queens counties.email:[email protected].
Book: No Looking Back;
Author: Shivani Gupta;
Publisher: Rupa;
Pages: 246; Price: Rs. 295
Twenty-
t w o -
y e a r - o l d
S h i v a n i
had thrown
a party one
evening -
and awoke
the next
morning in
h o s p i t a l ,
her spine
and her
dreams shattered by a car crash.
Paralyzed and then wheelchair-
bound, it took Shivani years of pain,
struggle and determination to regain
control of her life and her body; to
demand an receive respect from the
world; to gain acceptance from
within and without; to find love and
happiness.
Then tragedy struck again. As the
newly-married Shivani drove to
Manali with her family, an oil
tanker collided head-on with the
car. Bedridden once again, she
watched helplessly as first her
father-in-law and then Vikas, her
husband, succumbed to their
injuries. And yet, Shivani refused to
surrender - she wouldn't let her
inability to walk keep her from
achieving her ambitions.
This book is an inspiring narrative
about surviving the challenges of
disability and indignities faced by
approximately 25 percent of the
world's population, whether in
terms of infrastructure, legislature
or awareness.
Charitable contributions to lower your taxes
Inspirational stories from real-life heroes
By Kanwal S. Sra CPA
Qualified charitable organizations include temples, churches, synagogues, mosques, gurdwaras etc.
Book: Courage Beyond Compare;
Author: Sanjay Sharma and
Medini Sharma; Publisher: Rupa;
Pages: 258; Price: Rs. 295
The 10
sportsper-
sons profiled in
the book are
champions in
diverse disci-
plines like ath-
letics, swim-
ming, bad-
minton and
cricket, who have brought glory to
the country both in national and
international arenas. They over-
came immense physical limitations
to reach the pinnacle of their cho-
sen fields. Powerful and inspiring,
these stories are heart-warming
reminders that a strong mind,
steely will and dogged determina-
tion almost always triumphs over
the limitations of the human body.
Book: Face to Face;
Author: Ved Mehta;
Publisher: Penguin;
Pages: 314; Price: Rs. 499
Bl i n d
s ince
the age of
four, the
author led
a lonely
and turbu-
lent child-
hood in
India until
he was
accep ted
to the Arkansas School for the
Blind, to which he flew alone at
15. America and the school
changed his life, leading to
degrees at Oxford and Harvard and
a fruitful writing career.
This is the author's autobiogra-
phy touching upon his childhood,
blindness and remaking himself.
Book: This Star Won't Go Out;
Author: Esther Earl with Lori and
Wayne Earl; Publisher: Penguin;
Pages: 431; Price: Rs. 699
Di a g n o s e d
with thyroid
cancer at the age
of 12, Esther Earl
was an exception-
ally bright and
talented, but very
normal, teenager.
She lived a hope-
filled and generous, outwardly
focused life as she navigated her
physical decline with grace.
A cheerful, positive and encour-
aging daughter, sister and friend,
Esther died in 2010, shortly after
turning 16, but not before inspiring
thousands through her growing
online presence. This memoir col-
lects her journals, fiction, letters
and sketches. Photographs and
essays by family and friends also
help to tell her story.
At times, one feels burdened by theweight of a stressful life, and all one canthink of is escape. But there are manyinvisible faces who have courageouslytaken on the battles of life. These aresome inspirational tales to reflect on
26 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoSELF DEVELOPMENT
Propounding the path of
Bhagwan Mahavira, the
founder of Shrimad
Rajchandra Mission Dharampur
(Gujarat), Pujya Gurudevshri
Rakeshbhai is a spiritual visionary
and a modern day mystic. An
embodiment of universal compas-
sion, He has touched thousands of
lives in various countries through
enlightening discourses and an
array of meditation retreats steer-
ing a multitude of souls towards
the spiritual way of life. His
preaching inspires one to rise
above religious dogma and focus
on the Eternal.
His divine benevolence has
uplifted numerous underprivi-
leged lives through the ten-fold
Love and Care program.
Rakeshbhai is to give discourses
in Gujarati on Mahatma Gandhi –
His life and his message, in New
Jersey on April 26-28. The venue
is Marriott Hanover, Whippany.
More info on: www.shrimadra-
jchandramission.org/nj-retreat
Rakeshbhai to give a discourse on Gandhi in New JerseyPujya Gurudevshri Rakeshbhai is the torchbearer of the mission of
Shrimad Rajchandra, who wasacknowledged by Mahatma Gandhi
as his foremost spiritual guide.
Are you taking the right vitamins and nutrients?I
f you eat a healthful diet, you
may think you’re in the clear
when it comes to supplying your
body with vital nutrients. But some
experts say that even the most well-
rounded meal plans fall short.
“To get the amount of nutrients
you need to thrive, you can’t rely on
food alone. You really have to turn
to dietary supplements,” says
Michael A. Smith M.D., host of
“Healthy Talk” on RadioMD.com
and senior health scientist with Life
Extension in Fort Lauderdale,
Florida.
If you’ve ever walked through the
supplement section of a natural
foods store or done a quick search
online, you know it can be easy to
become overwhelmed by the choic-
es. Making matters more confusing,
everyone has different nutritional
needs.
“With the exception of a few
foundational nutrients, there’s no
such thing as a one-size-fits-all sup-
plement regimen,” says Smith,
whose new book and educational
tool, “The Supplement Pyramid,”
seeks to help readers design a nutri-
tional regimen that meets their
unique needs. “Like food, it’s help-
ful to think of your supplement
needs in a tiered pyramid structure:
the foundational supplements we all
need, personalized supplements
based on your needs and optimal
supplements for living healthier,
longer.”
Smith is offering guidelines forgetting started:�Bootleg products on the market
can do more harm than good. Invest
in high-quality nutritional supple-
ments. Stick with a company that
has an established track record of
using only pure, potent raw materi-
als.
�There are essential foundationalsupplements that should build the
base of most people’s plans, no mat-
ter what their unique needs are,
Smith says. These include an ideally
dosed multivitamin/mineral, omega-
3 fatty acids, coenzyme Q10 (as
ubiquinol) and probiotics. Check
with your doctor before starting a
supplement regimen.
�Everybody has their own per-sonal medical history and health
needs. With do-it-yourself detective
work, you can arm yourself with the
facts you need to personalize your
supplement plan for disease preven-
tion.
Beyond taking a personal and
family medical inventory, certain
laboratory tests can help you discov-
er out what’s going on inside your
body. Additionally, “The
Supplement Pyramid” contains a
series of medical quizzes based on
clinical risk assessments in different
areas including heart health, cogni-
tive function and immune strength.
�After providing your body withcore, foundational nutrients for sur-
vival and custom-tailored supple-
ments to help prevent disease, con-
sider optimizing your supplemental
regimen with “anti-aging supple-
ments” such as antioxidants, pro-
teins and amino acids. These supple-
ments form the top of your pyramid,
and if you need to cut back on
expenses, should be the first to go.
Getting started is simple. And the
sooner you do, the faster you can
begin properly nourishing and pro-
tecting your body from health risks.
For free tools to build your per-
sonal supplement regimen and for
more information about Smith’s
new book, visit
www.MySupplementPyramid.com
or call 1-855-870-0687.
Even if you juice every morning
and hit the salad bar at lunch every
afternoon, don’t be lulled into nutri-
tional complacency. By learning
more about your body’s needs, you
can live a longer, healthier, happier
life.
"This man (Shrimad
Rajchandra) has won my heart in
spiritual matters, and no one else
has ever made on me the same
impression.”
- Mahatma Gandhi,
'Modern Review', June 1930
Aman as great as Mahatma
Gandhi, the Father of the
Nation, was captivated in
spiritual matters by Shrimad
Rajchandraji, as by none other. "I
have said elsewhere that besides
Kavi (Shrimadji), Ruskin and
Tolstoy have contributed in form-
ing my intrinsic character; but Kavi
has had a more profound effect
because I had come in personal and
intimate contact with Him." That is
Gandhi's public acknowledgment
of Shrimad Rajchandra as his fore-
most spiritual guide in the 'Modern
Review'.
A Close AssociationThe first meeting with Shrimadji
left a deep-rooted impression on
the Mahatma. It happened in 1891
in Mumbai on Gandhiji's return
from England. Gandhi was two
years younger than Shrimadji, and
in that meeting, instantly took a lik-
ing to him. In the subsequent meet-
ings Gandhi’s doubts would get
resolved by Shrimadji. The ease
with which Shrimadji performed
His duties as a jeweler with detach-
ment amazed Gandhi.
In tribute, Gandhi wrote,
“Raichandbhai's commercial trans-
actions covered hundreds of thou-
sands…. But these things were not
the center round which his life
revolved. That center was the pas-
sion to see God face to face.
Amongst the things on his business
table, there were invariably to be
found some religious book and his
diary. The moment he finished his
business he opened the religious
book or the diary. Much of his pub-
lished writing is a reproduction
from this diary….
“And I saw him thus absorbed in
Godly pursuits in the midst of busi-
ness, not once or twice, but very
often. I never saw him lose his state
of equipoise.” [The Story of My
Experiments with Truth.]
Even after Gandhi moved to
South Africa, the meetings contin-
ued, though not in person, but
through correspondence. This close
association contributed a great deal
in molding Gandhi's character. In
fact, he attributes his strong foun-
dation of truth, non-violence and
self-improvement to Shrimadji.
Influence of Shrimadji'sTeachings on Gandhi
Shrimadji's teachings left an
indelible mark on Mahatma
Gandhi. Shrimadji's priceless let-
ters and compositions were his
constant companions - physically
and mentally. He contemplated
upon them and he also often
recited Shrimadji's poem
'Nirkhine Nav Yauvana' to
strengthen his belief in celibacy.
He had also rendered Shri
Atmasiddhi Shastra into English
prose. Shrimadji's unique compo-
sition, 'Apurva Avsar Evo Kyare
Aavshe?' was one of Gandhiji's
favorite compositions which was
included in his 'Ashram
Bhajanavali' sung at daily public
prayer meetings.
Gandhi's memorable accounts
on Shrimadji testify the profound
influence that the latter exerted
on the Mahatma's life.
Shrimadji's emphasis on truth,
compassion and non-violence in
every walk of life, later crystal-
lized as the fundamental tenets of
Gandhism, which played a signif-
icant role in the Indian struggle
for independence. In the history
of India and the world, the suc-
cess of Gandhi's nonviolent
struggle as a means of achieving
freedom will be engraved in
golden letters. Thus the role of
Shrimadji's spiritual teachings in
the regeneration of a new India
can hardly be exaggerated.
Rakeshbhai (foreground) and Shrimad Rajchandraji
(1867-1901).
There are essential foundational supplements thatshould build the base of most
people’s plans, no matter whattheir unique needs are. These
include an ideally dosed multivitamin/mineral, omega-3 fatty acids,
coenzyme Q10 (as ubiquinol)and probiotics.
Shrimad Rajchandra and Gandhi
LIFESTYLE 27April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: If one goes by
a study, Indian couples still
like to consider their par-
ents’ choice for marriage as
over 60 percent weddings
are arranged.
Around 600 couples from
metro cities in India partici-
pated in the study, conduct-
ed by an online matchmak-
ing service Truly Madly.com.
According to the findings, 69 per-
cent marriages are still arranged in
comparison to only 31 percent love
marriages. “Historically, most of the
marriages were arranged by parents,
hence when we did the survey, we
saw this distribution where arranged
marriages are still more active than
loved ones,” Rahul Kumar, co-
founder, Truly Madly.com, said in a
statement.
But he also adds that the new gen-
eration is open to love marriage too.
“However, with the new genera-
tion becoming more and more aspi-
rational, the trend is now shifting
towards love marriages as young-
sters want to make their own choic-
es,” he said.
Los Angeles: Some of the skin
care techniques that people think
are helping their skin are actually
doing more harm than good, says
skin care expert Renée Rouleau
and adds that over time these
habits may harm the skin.
The celebrity esthetician lists six
bad skin habits one needs to
unlearn immediately, reports huff-
ingtonpost.com.
1. Tugging at the delicate skin
surrounding the eye area: The
area surrounding eye has the
thinnest skin on the face, and it’s
the first to show the signs of
aging. Pulling on the skin while
putting in contacts, applying eye-
liner, or rubbing aggressively to
remove stubborn eye make-up can
unnecessarily create wear and tear
on the collagen and elasticity
fibers within the skin.
2. Misting, not wiping, your
skin when using toner: Toners
are designed to remove cleanser
residue and most importantly,
salts, chlorine, and chemicals from
tap water that may dehydrate the
skin. When you mist the toner you
are simply diluting these chemi-
cals, not removing them.
3. Rubbing skin too aggres-
sively with a washcloth: Use a
washcloth or facial sponge during
evening cleansing to fully remove
make-up and residue from the day.
Use a baby washcloth with softer
fibers or a facial sponge.
4. Not washing your face in the
morning: When sleeping, skin is
in repair mode and it secretes
sebum, which can prevent your
morning products from working
optimally. Cleansing in the shower
will give the skin a clean slate to
allow your daytime serum and
sunscreen to better protect and
absorb into the skin.
5. Using the same products
year-round: Without a doubt,
skin has different needs in differ-
ent seasons. In the spring, think
spring cleaning with deep pore
cleansing and exfoliating products
to revive the skin from the winter
dryness. In the summer, the focus
should be on protecting skin from
the sun with sunscreen and antiox-
idants. During the fall, increase
exfoliation to repair the skin from
the summer sun damage.
With the dry air in winter, the
focus should be on increasing
moisturization and using hydrat-
ing products.
New York: Jalebi, one of the favorite
sweets of Indians has featured on
an American news website's list
of fattening food items across
the globe.
Huffingtonpost.com hascome out with the follow-ing list of unhealthy dish-es in the world:�Jalebi, India: Jalebi is
a deep-fried dough that is
soaked in a sugary syrup.
This plain fried dough is
unhealthy on its own.
�Calzone, Italy: A traditionalcalzone uses the same amount of dough
as an entire pizza-which serves four people.
�Acaraje, Brazil: A mere tablespoon of palm oilcontains seven grams of saturated fat that makes the
food taste great but is bad for health. Brazil's acaraje
is a black-eyed peas formed into a ball, deep-fried in
palm oil, and then stuffed with spicy pastes made
from dried shrimp, ground cashews and
more palm oil.
�Churros, Spain: These arefried-dough pastries which are
dipped in sugar and cinnamon
and then dipped in a thick
hot-chocolate drink.
� K h a c h a p u r i ,Georgia: It's a bread bowl
that is stuffed with melted
cheese and topped with an
egg and a large pad of but-
ter.
�Nutella crepes, France:Two tablespoons of sweet choco-
laty Nutella spread has 200 calories
(110 of which are from fat).
�Deep-fried Mars bars, Scotland: A Mars barwhich is deep-fried is a melted chocolate bar.
�Ramen, Japan: Japanese soup dish consistingof noodles in broth, topped with a variety of meats
and vegetables. Soup is basically a health food but
the broth is made with beef, lard and oil that really
packs a fat punch even if the noodles aren't fried.
Indian sweet jalebi among world's most fattening foods
Prince George -thebaby fashion icon
London: Just like his mother and
Duchess of Cambridge, eight-
month-old Prince George is also
proving to be a trendsetter with his
outfits.
According to dailymail.co.uk,
designers of the clothes he has
worn on his first Royal Tour (to
New Zealand and Australia along
with his parents) are reporting a
surge in sales thanks to the
‘George effect’.
Rachel Riley’s dungarees:
There’s now an eight-week wait-
ing list to buy the same dungarees
George wore for a ‘playdate’. It
costs 75 pounds.
Early Days’s pre-walkers shoes:
The brand’s soft leather pumps
with a single button fastening are
flying off the shelves at Trotters in
High Street, Kensington. It is
priced at 24.99 pounds. The store
also stocks the 14.99 body pounds
suit with Peter Pan collar.
Blue is the color: George
matched his father’s choice of
color by wearing a textured navy
cardigan by Rachel Riley. It costs
59 pounds.
Backpack kids Kangaroo Plush
brand: The kangaroo backpack he
was given as a gift in Australia
sold out within hours, so there's no
doubt Prince George's latest Royal
Tour outfit will fly off the shelves.
It’s priced at 8.40 pounds.
Six skin habits to unlearn now
New York: Are 140 characters com-
ing between you and romance in
your life?
You are not alone.
A study contends that those
addicted to Twitter are likely to have
problems with their partners than
those who are not.
The more time you spend on
Twitter, the more harm you are
causing to your relationship, said
the study by researchers of the
University of Missouri.
Of the 500 Twitter users polled,
researchers found the more active
the tweeter, the more conflict a rela-
tionship had.
The findings were not any differ-
ent even for couples who have been
together for long.
“Active Twitter users experienced
Twitter-related conflict and negative
relationship outcomes regardless of
length of romantic relationship,”
Russell Clayton, doctoral student at
Missouri School of Journalism, was
quoted as saying.
However, the researchers said that
Twitter may not bet the sole factor
for the souring of a relationship.
Other contributing factors like
money, and trust, could also end a
relationship, the study said.
Too much Twitter kills romance in life
More Indians prefer arrangedto love marriages: Study
London: Dressing
with confidence
takes time for
sure, but a study
shows that
women can
take as much
as 55 years to
be confident
about their sar-
torial elegance.
Jacques Vert
Group conducted a
survey with over 1,000
participants. The research shows
that 55 is the optimum age a
woman starts to dress with confi-
dence. As many as 85 percent of
the participants aged over 55
said they would feel
confident to dress for
a special summer
occasion - twice
as self-assured
than a woman
half her age,
reports female-
first.co.uk.
“It takes time
to find an outfit
you’re happy with
and that suits you.
So, presentation is the
key as is advice from friends and
stylists - that way you can avoid
fashion faux pas," said Amanda
Lester, brand director for
Jacques Vert Group.
At 55, Britishwomen get confident
about dressing up: Survey
All pilots know that one of the
riskiest parts of a flight is take-
off, since that is when an aircraft
is most at risk of being in a mid-air colli-
sion with a fish.
Which is exactly what happened
recently in Florida. The pilot heard a
crunch and decided to land immediately-
only to find a dent in the fuselage match-
ing the shape of a very freshly deceased
fish on the runway.
How did the fish get there? In the
British Independent newspaper report
forwarded to me about this, unimagina-
tive officials suggested that a bird of
prey may have dropped its seafood din-
ner in the flight path at the moment of
take-off, but what are the odds of that?
The answer is surely something more
believable, involving portals from a par-
allel dimension.
Try this easy experiment to prove that
matter moves between different worlds.
1) Put your neatly looped earphones in
your pocket. 2) Take them out ten min-
utes later. You'll note they spent that
brief interval in a parallel dimension
where boy scouts tan-
gled them into a triple
slipknot, two angler's
loops and a Gordian
knot.
Life's bizarreness fac-
tor is super-high just
now. A European reader
sent me a report from
Germany in which scien-
tists reported finding a
four-eyed fish which can
see in 3D vision in all
directions at once. That's
scary: a creature with a
superpower hitherto seen
only in teachers! A
teacher once caught me
doing something
naughty when she was
100 meters away going
in the opposite direction.
Or she may have just
screamed my name by
chance, knowing the
odds were in her favor.
But going back to
planes, ever since the mystery disappear-
ance of flight MH370, many people have
become nervous about flying. And so
they should be!
As a plane-hopping citizen of Asia, my
main fear in this regard is not disappear-
ances but sudden appearances of the
beautiful, rich fauna of the region. Who
can forget that vulture that smashed into
the cockpit of an Indian Airlines flight
some years back? Or the ducks, goats
and chickens sharing the economy cabin
on flights in Mongolia? A reader was on
a plane in Vietnam when a passenger
threw his briefcase into the overhead
storage bins and smashed a glass jar con-
taining a giant snake, which sprang onto
the passengers below, causing them to
express their delight in life's little sur-
prises by having heart attacks, running
screaming for the doors and the like.
A pilot told me of a 2010 flight over
the African Congo, where a passenger's
hand luggage consisted of a live croco-
dile. It escaped while the plane was
somewhere over Kinshasa. Finding a
croc at the back of the plane, crew and
passengers ran to the front, putting it into
a nose dive.
An animal lover reading over my
shoulder has just pointed out that the
most dangerous type of animal on any
plane is the human being. "Dogs don't
hijack planes," she said.
As far as we know. Dogs are pretty
smart.
Whenever a stranger approaches my
house, my guard dog reacts instantly,
teleporting herself to a hiding space
under the bed. More proof that parallel
dimensions exist.
28 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoHUMOR
Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Plane hits fish in mid-air, as oddity factor rises
Pilot Nick Toth holds up a fish in frontof his Gulfstream G-IV at the base in
Tampa, Florida. A fish on runwayapparently caused a dent in fuselage
during take-off.
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist andhumorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrantIndians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.
MODI in AAP Ki Adalat
19th April 2014, Ruled planet: Sun Ruled by no: 1
Traits in you: Your ruling planet the Sun blesses you with a
unique character. You are pretty confident, creative, intellec-
tual, optimistic, and enthusiastic. You are gifted with an artis-
tic perception. You are very much social and like to make new
contacts wherever you go. However, you need to control your
mood swings and selfishness.
Health this year: You will enjoy a normal health this year.
Though you will not have any major health issues, you need
to take proper medication. You may practice yoga and medi-
tation for better results.
Finance this year: You will be among major financial gains
this year. You may go for a real estate transaction later this
year and this will bring you a lot of money to cherish. You may
start up a new business. If you are already into business, you
may plan for expanding its territory this year.
Career this year: Professionally, you are a very smart and ef-
ficient worker. So you may need to clarify doubts and help you
peers and juniors in their work. People in your professional
circuit will seek your help at every crucial situation. You may
get promoted as a result of your spectacular performance
throughout the year. You may be assigned a new responsibili-
ty this year. You may go for a job change as well as there will
be plenty of opportunities available.
Romance this year: Your romantic relationship will reach
new heights this year. You may get married this year, if you
are unmarried yet. You need to take care of the emotional re-
quirements of your partner to strengthen your relationship.
Lucky month: April, July, August, November and March
20thApril 2014, Ruled planet: Moon Ruled by no: 2Traits in you: Your ruler, the Moon makes you a very friend-
ly individual. You are simple, confident, realistic, sincere, and
optimistic. You are very innovative and try to perform your
work in a different and efficient way. You need to work hard
on your characteristics of being jealous and insensitive at
times.
Health this year: You will enjoy a pretty good health this
year. You need to take care of the health of your family mem-
bers. You need to take extra care of your health if you are hav-
ing some chronic diseases. You may go for domestic health-
care instead of allopathic medicines as it will give better re-
sults for your ailments and save your money as well.
Finance this year: This year will see an increase in your earn-
ings. However, you will end up spending a lot of money on
your family. You will spend enough money to buy luxury and
comforts and this will affect your savings. You may get into
new partnerships to start new ventures towards the end of the
year.
Career this year: You will be very impressive in your pro-
fessional circuit this year. However, you need to work smart
and perform well to grow as a perfectionist. You should take
quick decisions to excel in your field. You may have to help
your ordinates to drive productivity.
Romance this year: The emotional attachment with your
spouse or partner may blossom this year with lot of love, care,
and concern. If you are not married, then you may go for a ro-
mantic relationship. You will enjoy a very blissful time with
your beloved.
Lucky month: May, June, August and December
21thApril 2014, Ruled planet: Jupiter Ruled by no: 3
Traits in you: Being ruled by Jupiter, you are courteous,
courageous, decisive, ambitious, disciplined, and realistic.
You are gifted with high imagination power, optimism, and
enthusiasm. However, behaving restless and dominating may
hamper your characteristics at times. You need to work on
your personality to make yourself better as an individual.
Health this year: You may undergo few minor health issues
this year, which may bother you for a long time. You can go
for yoga or meditation to restore your good health. You need
to take required medication by consulting a doctor.
Finance this year: As far as finance is concerned, you will be
earning a lot of money. You will be assigned to new projects
and those will be highly yielding for you. You will gain enough
profits from your past investments. Your improved financial
status may bring you lot of happiness and joy later this year.
Career this year: You will be given more responsibility this
year as you have proved yourself to be an efficient resource
for your employer. You may expect a promotion or salary hike
later this year. You should guide your ordinates to perform bet-
ter and bring unexpected results for your organization.
Romance this year: Your relationship with your partner may
reach to new heights this year as your love, trust, care and con-
cern will develop towards your beloved. You may get married
towards the end of this year if you are yet to marry.
Lucky month: April, August, November and January
22thApril 2014, Ruled planet: Uranus Ruled by no: 4Traits in you: The influence of your ruling planet Uranus
makes you active, practical, enthusiastic, courageous, ambi-
tious, and highly philosophical. You are very proud of your
traditions, culture and rituals. You are highly religious and
have a very sharp mind. However, you need to work on your
impatient and stubborn behavior.
Health this year: Your health will remain good throughout
the year. You need to take utmost care of your health to main-
tain it and remain fit. The health of your family members
might be a concern for you this year. Try and avoid your bad
habits and start practicing yoga for the betterment of your
health.
Finance this year: You will be fortunate enough this year to
be among financial gains. All you need to do is to grab oppor-
tunities to earn money. You will find plenty of earning oppor-
tunities around you. However, you have to work hard to gain
that money. Overall, this year will give you financial stability
and security.
Career this year: You will get enough opportunities in your
professional life to prove yourself. You will create a better im-
pression on your seniors or higher management, which may
result in promotion. You should work efficiently to maintain
your respect at your workspace.
Romance this year: You will share a blissful romantic rela-
tionship with your spouse or partner. Your marriage is on cards
if you are yet to marry. You will find your partner supportive
enough in every crucial situation.
Lucky month: May, June, November and February
23thApril 2014, Ruled planet: Mercury Ruled by no: 5
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mercury makes you realis-
tic, reliable, sincere, and optimistic. You are the master of an
excellent memory power and charismatic characteristics. You
need not get nervous at tough time as it may create a question
mark on your capabilities.
Health this year: Your health will remain good throughout
the year. You need to take utmost care of your health to main-
tain it and remain fit. The health of your family members
might be a concern for you this year. Try and avoid your bad
habits and start practicing yoga for the betterment of your
health.
Finance this year: You may get benefits from your invest-
ments later this year. This year seems to be an ideal one to start
investing in business, land or gold. Your efforts to earn mon-
ey may pay off this time. You may go for new partnerships.
However, you should verify the financial background of your
partner for your financial security.
Career this year: If you are a working professional, you may
face various profession related problems this year. You need
to handle all the issues diplomatically else you may lose your
job. You may create wonder in the creativity field if you are a
writer, singer or actor.
Romance this year: You will find your partner to be a huge
emotional support for you during the tough times of your life.
You may get involved in a matrimonial alliance.
Lucky month: June, August, January and March
24thApril 2014, Ruled planet: Venus Ruled by no: 6Traits in you: As you are ruled by Venus, you are simple, gen-
erous, cheerful, friendly, humble, honest and peace loving.
You are pretty interested to stay in harmony with each and
everyone in your surroundings. You need to work on your na-
ture of being restless and pessimistic.
Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as
compared to last year. However, the health of an aged family
member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered. You
may end up spending lot of money for the health issues of your
family members.
Finance this year: Your past investments may yield a lot of
money for you this year. You need to be extra cautions while
investing huge amounts as it is a bit risky to put money on un-
predictable things. Overall, you will enjoy a strong financial
condition.
Career this year: You will be given more responsibility this
year as you have proved yourself to be an efficient resource
for your employer. You may expect a promotion or salary hike
later this year. You should guide your ordinates to perform bet-
ter and bring unexpected results for your organization.
Romance this year: If you are yet to be in a relationship, this
year is the ideal time to find a partner. You will get ample sup-
port from your spouse in any critical decision you have to
take. You should show your love to your partner as it strength-
ens your relationship.
Lucky month: July, November, December and January
25thApril 2014, Ruled planet: Neptune Ruled by no: 7
Traits in you: As you are governed by planet Neptune, you
are blessed with various positive characters. You are confi-
dent, decisive, generous, humorous, honest, modest and opti-
mistic. You are not an admirer of arguments or silly fights. You
should work on your nature of being selfish, pessimistic, and
arrogant.
Health this year: You will enjoy a better health this year as
compared to last year. However, the health of an aged family
member may deteriorate and that will make you bothered. You
may end up spending lot of money for the health issues of your
family members.
Finance this year: Your undisputed energy and enthusiasm to
earn money will make you financially stable this year. You
may go for property sale this year and earn a lot of money.
Career this year: Professionally you will enjoy a smooth life.
You may get recognition in your professional circuit as a re-
sult of your hard work and dedication. Your promotion is on
cards. You should take help of your seniors to learn quickly
and perform exceptionally well as it would help you grow pro-
fessionally.
Romance this year: You will spend a peaceful life with your
love interest this year. You will lead a blissful life with your
beloved with lots of love, care, concern, and support.
Lucky month: September, December, March and April
By Dr Prem Kumar SharmaChandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 [email protected]; www.premastrologer.com
Stars Foretell: April 19-25, 2014 Annual Predictions: For those born in this week
29
ARIES: Timely help of associates will
not only pass difficult times at work but
also help in regaining professional edge.
A promising week to plan things for your prog-
eny. Real estate investment would be lucrative.
A romantic encounter is likely to add spice to
life. Sound physical health will enable to par-
ticipate in outdoor activities. Travel plans for
ambitions are in full bloom. Your personal loan
plans for property could be in progress. You
find many takers for your unique & innovative
ideas.
TAURUS: A promising week to start a
new venture in partnership. All are like-
ly to be benefited. You would be the
center of attraction at a social gathering that
you attend especially with family. Investment
in stocks & mutual funds would help in earning
profits. Romantic partner would try innovative
methods to catch your attention. You will be
successful in getting rid from tensions. A beck-
on destination sounds tempting to you. Your
dream for new house might be full filed now.
You would be full of good ideas especially in
later half of the week.
GEMINI: Your technical expertise
gives a decisive edge over competitors
at work. You would prefer to relax and
enjoy the company of family members in the
evening. Long-term investment in stocks &
mutual funds will enable to earn profits.
Initiatives in love bring positive results as you
catch the desired attention. A sparkling laughter
filled week when most things proceed, as you
desire. Planning a trip for your love will
embrace you and your spouse. Getting your
dream home will be the greatest pleasure for
you. Legal battle proves fruitful as you succeed
in your efforts.
CANCER: The week could force you
to search a new job where your skills
are more useful. You move with new
excitement & confidence as you receive sup-
port from family and friends. Improvement in
finances is certain. Your generous attitude
would contribute much in your love life in this
week. Your enormous confidence would help
in enjoying a healthy life. Enjoy your holiday
with love of your life. Selling a plot might be
profitable as property rates tend to rise sooner.
Favourable planetary position will give you
plenty of reasons to cheer.
LEO: Your gullible nature would allow
people to easily take you for a ride.
Family front seems to go smoothly as
you receive their full support to your plans.
Speculation coupled with some unexpected
gains improves financial health. Extremely
supportive & loving partner would help in
withering away your troubles. A very healthy
week filled with happiness & vitality.
Romantic destinations seems appealing to you.
Lifestyle home is what you are looking for?
Timely help to someone will be
rewarded/acknowledged.
VIRGO: Hard work of the past brings
rich dividends. However continue
enhancing your skills/adopt techniques
for further development. You find relief, com-
fort and affection in the company of family
members. A new source of income will gener-
ate through influential contacts. Romantic
vibrations from someone unknown would lift
your spirits taking imaginations to scaling
heights. Pleasure trip would help in maintain-
ing sound health in this week. Travel for fun
and pleasure is what you demand. Deals on
commercial property can tend to be at full
boom. Forced travelling brings pleasure more
than expectations.
LIBRA: Dedication & loyalty at work
would bring desired results. Time spent
with relatives will be to your advan-
tage. You could find yourself in an exciting
new situation, bringing you financial gains.
Love life brings immense romantic pleasure.
Yoga and meditation would help in keeping in
shape and mentally agile. Small journey with
your office colleagues will be interesting.
Investing residentially is one thing you can rely
on. You are likely to be contacted by an old
friend reminding some sweet memories.
SCORPIO: New ventures start on a
positive note. Family members will be
very positive & supportive to your
plans. Investment made in this week would
enhance prosperity and financial security.
Traveling proves a blessing in disguise by
bringing a love in your life. Blessings of a
saintly person give peace of mind. Your boss
may ask you for your company to a friend’s
party. Investment on overseas property has to
be considered seriously. Involving yourself in
some voluntary work would unknowingly
enable to help someone in distress.
SAGITTARIUS: You succeed in com-
pleting projects efficiently provided
you put in all your efforts. Relatives
will be willing to lend a helping hand at the
time of need. An improvement in financial
position would enable to make important pur-
chases. You are likely to get a new friendship
opportunity in the evening. Chances of recov-
ering from physical ailment are high. Travel
plan with a colleague might lead to a new rela-
tionship. Time to spend money on your homely
accommodations. You find many of your unre-
alisable dreams coming true in this week.
CAPRICORN: Hard work put-in the
past will yield handsome rewards in
business in this week. New relationship
at family front will be long lasting & highly
beneficial. You are likely to earn monetary
profits through most unexpected sources. New
romance that some of you are going to experi-
ence would take the worries off mind.
Inexhaustible energy enables to participate in
outdoor activities. Small picnic organized by
your company is good to change your mood. A
good week to make some investment on
kitchen items. You are likely to enjoy sheer
pleasure & fun if you venture to take a ride in
this week.
AQUARIUS: Business partners
behave supportive on executing strate-
gies to sort out pending problems. You
find family members very supportive but high-
ly demanding. Your brilliant ideas would help
in bringing financial gains. You enjoy a memo-
rable time with partner to cement the lovely
bond. You attain a bloom in health on sharing
happiness with others. Your travel plans are
smooth, but the toughest part is that your part-
ner doesn’t have time. You might be purchas-
ing a refrigerator or any other gadget for your
house. An improved look adds to your person-
ality.
PISCES: Innovative ideas & technical
expertise would enable to win the confi-
dence of seniors at professional front.
Guests visit would make it a pleasant & won-
derful week. A promising week to earn profits
in real estate and financial transactions. You
will be attracted to someone special.
A cheerful state of mind would allow enjoying
the perfect health. If you want to travel start
planning your trip now. Purchasing of electrical
appliances can be done. An auspicious week to
engage yourself in social as well as religious
functions.
April 19-25, 2014TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY
If we were to sit next to God and
listen to the prayers being
uttered by millions of people
around the world, we may find that
many go through the mechanics of
prayer, but their mind is thinking of
other thoughts. We may say the
right words, but one person is won-
dering who will win the basketball
game, another is thinking about
whether they will get good grades
on a test, someone else is thinking
about their next vacation, while
another is thinking about their
money problems. How many who
pray are really engaged in true
prayer?
True prayer is a moment in which
we open ourselves up to the Lord.
We sit in humble supplication of
the Creator of all and wait for
God’s love and grace to enter into
our being. How many of us can
keep our mind open enough to
receive what God wants to give?
Are we too busy in our thoughts of
the world to notice what God is
sending us?
In this connection there is the
classic story of Princess Laila from
the Indian tradition. There was once
a princess named Laila who was
always absorbed in the love and
remembrance of her earthly
beloved, Majnu. Once she was
going to the mosque to pray. She
was so lost in her thoughts of
Majnu that she did not notice that
she stepped on the prayer mat of a
holy man. As soon as she had
stepped on the mat, the holy man
jumped up and began scolding her
for her sacrilegious act. She was
startled out of her reverie by this
commotion. He said, “How could
you have committed such a disre-
spectful act, walking on the prayer
mat while I was praying?” She was
apologetic and said, “I am sorry,
but I was so lost in the thoughts of
my earthly beloved that I did not
notice where I was going.” Then,
with great wisdom, she remarked,
“I just wonder, O holy one, that if I
could be so lost in my worldly
beloved that I did not notice where
I was walking, how could you say
you were lost in prayer to God, the
divine Beloved, and yet still notice
me walking on your mat? If you
were truly lost, you would not have
noticed me at all!”
Is our condition like that of
Laila’s or is it that of the holy man?
If we were truly lost in prayer, we
would not notice what was going
on around us and we would not be
aware of any distracting thoughts.
We need to remember that the
thoughts that pull us away from our
prayers or from communion with
the Lord are instigated by the mind.
Just as each of us has a soul, which
is our connection with God, we also
have a mind, which is our connec-
tion with Kal, the Sustaining
Power, also called the Universal
Mind. Thus, every time we are
moved to return to God, Kal sends
an impetus in the form of a distrac-
tion and temptation to keep us from
remembering God. It is like we
have a computer chip programmed
into us that connects us with the
mainframe of God, and we have a
computer chip programmed into us
that connects us with the main-
frame of the Universal Mind. To
which one do we pay attention?
If we want to overcome the pull
of the mind, then engaging in accu-
rate meditation, doing simran, lead-
ing an ethical life, attending satsang
and performing selfless service are
the game moves that outwit the
mind. We do not have to treat the
mind as an enemy; we can, instead,
befriend the mind. This means hav-
ing an understanding with our mind
that it, too, will receive benefits by
following the plan laid out by the
soul. If we reason with our mind,
we can use it as an ally to reach our
spiritual goals.
The mind benefits from medita-
tion in that it develops increased
concentration to make it achieve
more in its worldly goals. It keeps
the mind calm so it can be more
productive and efficient.
Meditation also helps take the mind
back to its home in the third spiritu-
al region. Leading an ethical life
also helps the mind from the rav-
ages of anger, greed, attachment
and ego. Once freed, the mind can
be put to better uses, more creative
uses, and more productive uses for
its achievements of worldly goals.
Satsang also helps the mind
because it gives it a theoretical
understanding of the topic relating
to the soul and God. Selfless serv-
ice helps the mind because it gives
it something useful to do as a posi-
tive contributor to society and to
the world as well as its own spiritu-
al upliftment.
Thus, if we show the mind the
benefits it, too, gains through our
spiritual practices, it will be helpful
to us in developing good habits to
grow spiritually. Then, the mind
will achieve its ends, and the soul
can go on further to its ultimate
destination, back to God.
If we do not wish to be like the
person who goes through the
motions of prayer, but whose mind
is wandering, we can do several
things. First, let us perfect our med-
itations. When we sit for meditation
we can enter into a devotional
mood to create a space between our
worldly work and meditation time.
For some, it may mean having a
special or sacred place in the house
in which only meditation takes
place. It may mean creating a spe-
cial consistent time in which the
mind develops the habit of sitting
regularly. It may mean singing a
devotional prayer or song before
meditating. Some people find exer-
cise, a brisk walk, or a shower
helps them still their mind and
focus on meditation. Others like to
read something from the scriptures,
from the great saints and mystics,
or spiritual poetry to create the right
mood. Then, when we sit for medi-
tation, we are fresh and ready to
concentrate.
Whatever we do, we should do
wholly and solely. Sant Kirpal
Singh Ji Maharaj used to say,
“When you play, you should play.
When you work, you should work.”
He advised us to put our attention
wholeheartedly into whatever we
were doing. By training our mind to
be fully attentive into whatever task
we are doing, we can then ensure
that when we perform our prayers
and when we meditate, we will
fully do so. Our mind will be con-
centrated.
Let us try to keep our mind, heart,
and soul focused on our prayers or
meditations so that we can achieve
the best results. In this way, we can
tame our mind so that our soul can
have free access back to the Lord.
For more visit www.sos.org
How to engage in true prayer
By Sant Rajinder SinghJi Maharaj
30 April 19-25, 2014 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoSPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharajis an internationally recognizedspiritual leader and Master ofJyoti Meditation who affirms thetranscendent oneness at the heartof all religions and mystic tradi-tions, emphasizing ethical livingand meditation as building blocksfor achieving inner and outerpeace. www.sos.org.
True prayer is a momentin which we open
ourselves up to theLord. We
sit in humble supplication of the
Creator of all and waitfor God’s love and graceto enter into our being.
Many people pass through
life unaware that God is
always with us. If we
think about our interactions with
others during the day, we may
find that we behave differently
when we think someone is observ-
ing us. We may act better when
we think our employer, superiors,
or others whom we are trying to
impress are watching. What if we
knew that God was watching?
Would we then act according to
higher ethical virtues?
It is human nature to be on our
best behavior when others are
watching. When we are at work or
with our neighbors and friends, do
we find that we act in ways in
which everyone will think we are
good people? If we have any bad
qualities, do we try to hide them
from others?
If people realized that what we
hide from others is an open book
to God, we might be more con-
scious of trying to exhibit good
qualities all the time.
People wonder, "Where is
God?" Masters and saints teach us
that God is within us. Wherever
we are and whatever we do, God
sees us. God is the power that
enlivens us. This power is what
gives us life. Our body, made of
earthly elements of matter, is not
our true self. The power that
moves the body is the power of
God. The portion of that power
allocated to inhabit our body is
our soul. Our soul is a drop of the
infinite power of God. It is a part
of God. As our soul is a part of
God, whenever we do anything,
that information is known to God.
We can think of it as a computer
network. The master computer is
linked up with all the individual
computers in a network. The oper-
ator of the master computer can
know what is going on with the
individual computers simultane-
ously. Individual operators may or
may not be aware that the opera-
tor of the master computer can
know all about what they are
doing on their computers. If they
knew someone had access to their
emails or text messages, they
would be more careful. Those
who are not aware of this may end
up writing things they would not
want anyone to know about.
In the same way, God is the
master operator of the network of
creation and our souls are the
individual computers. Everything
we think, say, and do is known to
God. If we realized God is watch-
ing us at all times, we would act
in a positive way. If we realized
God was watching, our lives
would change dramatically.
If we were aware that God hears
our thoughts and words, and
watches our deeds, think how
quickly our behavior would
improve. We would be super care-
ful to avoid failures in the ethical
virtues of nonviolence, truthful-
ness, purity, and humility. If we
were to remove our failures and
were to spend time in meditation
and doing selfless service,
our spiritual progress would
accelerate.
Our life is an open book to godBySantRajinderSinghJi Maharaj