21 - Vol 6 - Epaper

The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Vol.6 No. 21 September 14-20, 2013 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
De Blasio and Lhota left in race for NYC Mayor

With registered Dem voters outnumbering Republicans 7:1, De Blasio is better poised to replace Mayor Bloomberg.
New York: A recount or runoff wont make a difference now. Bill de Blasio's is a sizeable and durable lead in the Democratic primary for NYC Mayor, hovering above the crucial 40% votes mark to avoid runoff against Bill Thompson. So, the Public Advocate may as well start campaigning against the Republican nominee, Joseph J. Lhota, who is no lightweight, having served as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Lhota defeated John A. Catsimatidis, a billionaire, in the primary. Democrats are already trying to persuade Thompson to quit the race, as the party is desperate to Continued on page 4
Transferring chemical arms at Russia's urging: Assad
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio celebrating after the primary results, and (inset) Joseph J. Lhota, who served as Deputy Mayor under Giuliani.
BJP inching towards Modi for PM call

New Delhi: The BJP appeared to be inching closer towards announcing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, possibly on Friday, even as party chief Rajnath Singh continued efforts to bring on board leaders who want the decision to be deferred till the assembly polls. BJP sources said that the decision on Modi's elevation would be announced "soon" and could happen Friday. Rajnath Singh said that all senior leaders were being consulted on the issue and sought to downplay reservations of senior party leader L.K. Advani on declaring Modi as Continued on page 4
Syrian supremo Bashar al-Assad during an interview with PBS Charlie Rose, which was telecast on Monday.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi: face of the party
Damascus/Paris/Beijing: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Thursday he had agreed to hand over the country's chemical weapons at Russia's urging even as a French minister said that UN experts are likely to publish their findings on a chemical attack in Syria by Sept 16. In an interview with Rossiya 24 channel, Assad said he had agreed to put chemical weapons under international observation "upon the request of Russia and not because of the American threats". "Any war against Syria would be destructive to the entire region and
would plunge the region in a series of problems and instability for decades to come," Xinhua cited state-run SANA news agency as quoting him. Bashar al-Assad also insisted that the US give up its "policy of threats" and halt arms shipments to rebels before his government turns over its chemical weapons, even as US and Russian delegations began talks in Geneva aimed at forging a road map for the shutdown of the weapons program. Assad's comments, in his first public statement on the Russian Continued on page 4
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Spiritual Awareness 30
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September 14-20, 2013
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Mineola: Former Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi won his Democratic primary Tuesday defeating Adam Haber, setting up a November rematch with the man who beat him four years ago, Republican Edward P. Mangano. Suozzi polled 59 percent of the vote and Haber 41 percent while voter turnout was a low 9 percent. In his victory speech in Glen Cove, Suozzi turned his attention to Mangano. "This campaign is a fight for our future," Suozzi said. "This campaign is about where we want Nassau County to head. Do we want to continue with these policies of borrow, borrow, borrow, spend, spend, spend? If we do, we'll have no future." Mangano spokesman Brian Nevin responded to Suozzi's victory by focusing on the Democrats who did not vote for Suozzi in the primary, and on tax hikes during his tenure as county executive from 2002-2009. "With over 10,000 Democrats rejecting Tom Suozzi, we look forward to debating Suozzi's record of
Winning primary, Tom Suozzi sets up Sikh group claims to rematch with Mangano deliver court summons to NY hospital for Sonia
Incumbent County Executive Ed Mangano and the Democratic challenger Tom Suozzi
hiking property taxes by 23 percent," Nevin said, as quoted by Newsday. Nassau Democratic Party leaders had sought to avoid Tuesday's primary altogether, giving Suozzi their endorsement. But Haber, a businessman, refused to bow out, arguing that he brought new ideas to the table. He is still planning to contest the county executive election as a third party candidate. Suozzi had ignored Haber in the primary campaign, instead targeting Mangano in his campaign ads and
mailers. He said that when he was county executive, Nassau had eight budget surpluses and 13 bond upgrades. He also promises to reduce the county's nearly $3 billion debt. But Mangano's campaign often has cited the two property tax increases that passed under Suozzi's administration. For the record, Mangano can take credit for no tax hikes, and for efficient handling of Sandy storm and its aftermath. He is also well liked in the South Asian community.
New York: A Sikh rights group says it delivered a US federal court's summons to Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, who was in New York for medical treatment, through hospital staff and her security detail. US based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), which has filed a class action suit against Sonia for shielding party officials allegedly involved in inciting attacks on Sikhs in November 1984, said the summons were delivered Monday at SloanKettering cancer center in New York. SFJ attorney Gurpatwant S. Pannun said a nursing supervisor at the hospital was handed a copy of the summons, complaint and Judge Brian M Cogan's order directing her to
give the documents to Sonia. Under federal rules, Gandhi gets 21 days to respond to the summons barring which a default judgment will be entered against her, Pannun said. The suit under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) accuses Sonia of shielding and protecting leaders including Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and Kamal Nath from being prosecuted for their alleged role in the 1984 violence. Meanwhile, Sonia Gandhi, who returned to New Delhi, was seen at Rashtrapati Bhavan Thursday attending the award of the Indira Gandhi Prize to Nobel Prize-winning Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Baba Ramdev to keynote Dharma & Yoga Fest in NJ

Iselin, NJ: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) along with other community organizations is organizing Dharma and Yoga Fest as a grand finale event of S w a m i Baba Ramdev Vi v e k a n a n d a s 150th birth celebrations. The event comprises daylong spiritual festivals in 20 cities across USA. In New Jersey, this event will be held at Birchwood Manor in Whippany, NJ on September 29. Over 2,000 people are expected to attend. Swami Ramdev will be Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the event. Organizing Partners of HSS include Art of Living, Gayatri Parivar, Overseas Friends of BJP, Patanjali Yogpeeth (USA), Sri Aurobindo Yoga Foundation of North America and Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America. Swami Vivekananda (1863 1902), was a key figure in introducing Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world.
India to take part in 9/11 garden in city

By Jinal Shah New York: India on Wednesday announced its participation in the Queen Elizabeth II September 11 Garden. The announcement was made at a prayer meeting held at the Indian consulate here to mark the 12th anniversary of 9/11 terror attacks in America. Nestled within the shady recesses of New Yorks financial district, the British Garden at Hanover Square was commissioned by the British Memorial Garden Trust and given to the city in memory of British and Commonwealth citizens who lost their lives during the 9/11 attacks and in the ensuing wars. The Queen Elizabeth II September 11 garden is built in the memory of those who sacrificed their lives in the 9/11 attacks. India lost about 47 people and this number does not include people who died outside the building or people who are not accounted for and so we thought it is a good gesture to participate and pay homage to those people. We had a request from the chairman of the garden and we readily agreed, said Consul General Dnyaneshwar Mulay. The garden was developed from a plan by English landscape designers Julian and Isabel Bannerman. It combines this parks footprint with the shape of the British Isles, enclosed by a ribbon of Morayshire sandstone quarried from the highlands of Scotland. Initially built to pay homage to British nationals who died
Queen Elizabeth II September 11 Garden at Hanover Square, in Manhattan
in the terrorist attack, in August 2011 the purpose of the garden was expanded to honor victims from Commonwealth nations. So far participating Commonwealth nations include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica and now India. We would like all Commonwealth nations especially those affected by 9/11 to participate, said Rodney Johnson, vice chairman British Memorial Garden Trust. At the event, Ambassador Mulay recited a Sanskrit prayer that was followed by a minutes silence to mark the anniversary of the deadly attacks that claimed close to 3,000 lives. We gathered here to essentially pray for those who sacrificed their lives irrespective of their nationalities or religion. We also condemn all form of terrorism afflicting the world and resolve that humanity should fight this evil, he concluded.
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Transferring chemical arms... Continued from page 1 proposal that Syria hand over its chemical weapons to an international monitors, underlined the distance between Syria and its backers in Moscow on one side and the U.S. and its allies on the other. Differences between Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov were evident, with Lavrov saying military force against Syria was unnecessary and Kerry stressing that the threat of force was the only reason Assad has made pledges to give up his chemical-weapons arsenal. President Barack Obama had been seeking congressional approval for military actions against Syria for an alleged Aug 21 gas attack outside the Syrian capital, which reportedly killed at least 1,429 people, including 426 children. The Syrian government has denied the allegation. On Monday, Russia came up with the proposal urging the Syrian government not only to put its chemical weapons under international control, but also to agree on their destruction and on fullfledged participation of the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). After Syria accepted the proposal the next day, Obama asked Congress to postpone the vote to authorize the use of force as the US sought a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis. Meanwhile, China Thursday called for a positive and rational response to the Syria issue and suggested a second international conference on the country in Geneva at an early date. De Blasio and Lhota ... Continued from page 1 elect its first mayor since 1989 an occupy Gracie Mansion.
Says Ravi Batra, Bill Thompsons greatest contribution during this election cycle, beyond having run for mayor, is to now do what Anthony Weiner gracefully did in 2005: give up and avoid a painful runoff election. Incidentally, disgraced former Congressman came fifth (4.9% vote), after Christine Quinn (15.5%), and even Comptroller John Liu (7%). Voters dont seem to have forgiven the other scandal ridden politician in the fray either. Former state governor Eliot Spitzer lost the race of comptroller to Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president. And in the Democratic primary for public advocate, Letitia James, a City Council member from Brooklyn, will face Senator Daniel L. Squadron of Brooklyn in a runoff election. Indian American Reshma Saujani came at number three with 15% vote. Lhota, who served as deputy mayor to Rudolph W. Giuliani, will carry his tough-minded approach to crime-fighting and city spending into the general election on November 5. A vocal supporter of Mayor Michael R. Bloombergs policies, Lhota called his victory the first step in continuing a strong future for our city. By contrast, De Blasio has vowed to make a clean break from the Bloomberg era. That struck a chord with Democratic voters worried about jobs and schools. Roughly three in four wanted to move the city in a different direction after 12 years with Bloomberg, an exit poll found. Incidentally, both De Blasio and Lhota are Brooklynites. BJP inching towards Modi... Continued from page 1 PM candidate. "No one is miffed with anyone. ..We will decide after talking to everyone and will make the announcement at the appropriate time," he told reporters here Thursday. As part of efforts at building consensus, the BJP chief met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, who, like Advani, has reservations on the PM decision. The sources said that parliamentary board meeting could be held Monday if it is not held Friday. Rajnath Singh had Wednesday met Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi as part of efforts to build a consensus. Narendra Modi is the chief of party's campaign committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. BJP has maintained that a decision on PM candidate would be taken by the parliamentary board. Party leaders said Rajnath Singh may, as an exception, make an announcement on Narendra Modi after consulting members of the board individually. The RSS, the ideological fountainhead of BJP, has given its opinion on the issue to the party, and there is also pressure from supporters of Modi for an early decision. "What the party would be doing tomorrow is only formalizing a decision taken," a party leader said. Those pushing for Modi's elevation as prime ministerial candidate feel that it will help build momentum against the Congress and help crystallize people's mood in favor of the party. But Sudheendra Kulkarni, who was close to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee besides Advani, Thursday accused Modi of polarizing his own party and questioned his ability to head a stable central government.
Florida pastor held before Quran burning

Planned to burn one each for each person killed in 9/11
Mulberry, Fla.: Florida pastor Terry Jones was arrested Wednesday as he drove a pickup truck towing a large barbecue-style grill filled with kerosene-soaked Qurans to a park, where he had said he was planning to burn 2,998 of the Muslim holy books one for every victim of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in America. Sheriff's deputies in Polk County, Fla., arrested Terry Jones and his associate Marvin Sapp Jr. each on a felony charge of unlawful conveyance of fuel. Jones is the pastor of a small evangelical Christian church. He first gained attention in 2010 when he planned to burn a Quran on the anniversary of 9/11, although he eventually called it off. His congregation did burn the Muslim holy book in March 2011 and last year he promoted
Pastor Terry Jones
an anti-Muslim film. All three incidents sparked violence in the Middle East and Afghanistan. The most violent protest happened after the 2011 Quran burning as hundreds of protesters stormed a UN compound in Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, killing seven foreigners, including four Nepalese guards.
Indian missions in Gulf have shelters for runaway housemaids

New Delhi: With millions of Indians working as unskilled or low-skilled workers in the Gulf region, Indian missions there have "major problems" dealing with runaway housemaids and some of them have set up shelters for them, said an official. According to Joint Secretary (Consular) Suchitra Durai in the external affairs ministry, one of the major initiatives of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) is to ensure that no one below the age of 30 years is given clearance to go as a housemaid anywhere in the world. But she said a number of people "actually go around these guidelines". They travel on a visitor's visas overseas and thereafter work as housemaids. "Naturally, our job at the missions is to help any Indian in distress, irrespective of the way they went to that particular country," she said in a briefing. The Indian missions in a couple of countries "where this is a very major problem, for example in Saudi Arabia as well as in Kuwait", have set up shelters for runaway housemaids. According to Durai, if a runaway housemaid approaches the mission for help, they first verify whether she is an Indian national. Once that is established, the mission then intervenes with the sponsor for an exit visa for the worker. "That is because in such countries you also need an exit visa to come back. It is not just a question of issuing a travel document.
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TRISTATE COMMUNITY
Asian American students in NY schools bullied

Washington, DC: Nearly half the Asian American students in the New York City school system surveyed by two civic rights groups have said they've been bullied, according to a new report. The report by the Asian American Legal Defence and Education Fund and the Sikh Coalition, suggests that a 2008 bias-based harassment measure has not yet substantially diminished harassment faced by Asian American students in New York public schools. The Sikh Coalition's Amardeep Singh said 25 percent of 163 students surveyed for the report "One Step Forward, Half a Step Back," said they also suffered from physical violence, especially for Muslims and Sikhs. "I think that post 9/11 dynamic exacerbates school bullying for that segment of the Asian American community," he said. "On paper the city's school bullying prevention regulation is generally strong," the report said noting "It provides clear guidance on defining, responding, tracking, and ultimately addressing bias-based harassment." However, "there are significant gaps in the regulation's implementation," the report said highlighting "the city's refusal to publish the data it collects on school bullying incidents throughout the city." While the regulation mandates collection of such data, it does not require its publication. The report reveals that only 16 percent of those who reported bullying to their schools received a written report from their school, as required by the regulation. Less than half of the bullying victims surveyed reported that their school met the regulation's requirement of parental notification of bullying incidents. "I have both seen and experienced bullying in my school," Pawanpreet Singh, a junior at a High School in the Bronx, was quoted as saying. "Teachers and students too often don't know there are rules against bullying or don't care. The adults in our lives need to create a better environment for students so that we can focus on our studies rather than worrying about the bully down the hall," he said. The report also acknowledged that the city's school bullying prevention regulation has had success in making the issue of bias-based harassment more visible. Almost two-thirds of students reported seeing the regulation-required "Respect for All" (RFA) posters in schools. "This is a significant increase from the 27 percent of students who reported seeing these posters during the organizations' 2009 survey of students." "Similarly, while it is troubling that parents are notified of bullying incidents less than half the time, this is still double the number of students who reported parental notification during the 2009 survey," it said. The report's recommendations to the New York education department include required publication of yearly data on harassment incidents, trainings for all staff on regulation procedures such as restorative justice methods, and full compliance with the city's bullying prevention regulation.
Obama nominates Puneet Talwar to key diplomatic position

White House photo of President Obama being briefed by Puneet Talwar, the then Senior Director for Iraq, Iran and the Gulf States.
Washington, DC: President Barack Obama has nominated Indian-American Puneet Talwar as Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs, a top diplomatic post. Talwar, who was Obama's top advisor on the Middle East region for over four years is the second IndianAmerican to be nominated as the Assistant Secretary position in the State Department. In July, Nisha Desai Biswal was nominated as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia. Both the positions need to be confirmed by the Senate. Obama announced his intent to
nominate Talwar to the top State Department position along with nearly 30 senior administration positions. If confirmed by the Congress, Talwar, in his capacity as the Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs, will provide policy direction in the areas of international security, security assistance, military operations, defence strategy and plans, and defence trade. Since 2009, Talwar has been a Special Assistant to the US President and Senior Director for Iran, Iraq and the Gulf states on the White House National Security Staff.
Indian housewife opts for divorce, unending battle ensues in Family Court
Ashok Ojha/SA Times Edison, NJ: Knocking the doors of a family court seeking relief for child support may turn into a nightmare. This story of a housewife of Indian origin is a showcase of realities, which impact many lives in the USA. She was married in India in 1991. Soon her marriage failed and Arti Sahni, a resident of Ewing Township here boldly opted for terminating her marriage and initiated for divorce, which, she said, took her to numerous court hearings and motions. I spent about fifteen years trying to represent myself in courts, had my support modified over sixteen times, she told The South Asian Times in a letter. She decided to represent herself in the court as she found that retaining lawyers were a huge dent on her savings and the litigation bill soon made it impossible for her to expect any lawyer to represent her. Arti took her battle to the Appellate court. She said, Fortunately a major part of my appeal was upheld by the Appellate court on February 9, 2010. However in less than a month of this ruling my child support was again decreased. I had been completely broken, since I could write my court papers but could not verbally present my case without busting into tears in court. In her battle for many years Arti now feels that women like her should know what was in store should they decide to look at the family courts for justice. She intended to bring her story in public. The supports ordered by the courts were less than any other case in the same income group! She continued in her letter, My financial hardship increased as court orders decreased the amount for child support. During the past seventeen years, physicians, educators and police took care of my children, for which I am very grateful.
Share and Care launches series of Fall fundraisers

New York, NY: Share and Care, a New Jersey based nonprofit organization has announced a series of fundraising events for Fall 2013 to be hosted in the Tri State area and to benefit economically challenged women and children of India by partnering with communities, philanthropists and local charitable organizations. The fundraising series of events kicks off with the annual Share and Care gala featuring a tribute concert for legendary Indian singer Kishore Kumar. The concert titled, Do Kishore will be a musical extravaganza with performances by his sons, Amit Kumar and Sumeet Kumar. The concert will be held at NJPAC (New Jersey Performing Arts Center) on Saturday, September 28th. The funds from this concert will directly go towards Share and Cares womens empowerment initiatives. Following the concert, on October 6th, Share and Care will host an exclusive Art and Photography Show in Manhattan. The evening will feature the works of Shailja Gupta, Shreya Mehta, Kartik Trivedi, Jayant Shroff, Rohini Zutshi, Geeta Acharya, Lucy Winton, Samita Bhatia, Juhi Awasthi, Preya Patel and photographs by Dr Ramesh Patwa. Shailja Gupta will be autographing purchased pieces from her collection 100 Years Of Bollywood, while Dr. Ramesh Patwa will also be signing his limited edition coffee table book. Funds from this evening will benefit Share and Cares Healthcare to the Unreached (H2U) program. Another exciting event lined up for October is the Casino for a Cause night to be held on October 12th in Long Island. Guests will have an opportunity to participate in casino like games and play for the charity. Funds from this evening will help support Share and Cares signature program (E2G) Educate to Graduate. E2G transform the lives of bright students by providing financial assistance in the form of a Loan Scholarship. Students agree to repay the loan once they secure income from employment. E2G graduates earn 2 to 8 times the average monthly income in India. The last and finale fall fundraising event is a glamorous Fashion Gala and Trunk Show to be held on November 16th in New York. The funds from this evening to enhance their Womens Empowerment Initiatives. SCF is all about touching lives, bridging distances, healing and building bonds. Our events will provide the opportunity to communicate to young hearts and minds and American colleagues and friends about SCF vision and strategies that is incredibly powerful says Share and Care President, Mr. Arun Bhansali.
Ranbir Kapoor to grace ASB Communications Diwali at Times Square

New York: ASB Communications Diwali at Times Square, on Sunday, September 22, 2013 from 11am-6pm and the Light up Times Square Concert from 6pm-9pm promises to be one Ranbir Kapoor, Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor starry event. The presenting sponsor of the event is Air India and title sponsor is Maharashtra Tourism. The chief guests for the day are none other than Bollywoods latest heartthrob and lead actor of upcoming film Besharam Ranbir Kapoor, legendary actor Rishi Kapoor with glamorous and graceful actress Neetu Singh, debutant actress and co-star of Besharam Pallavi Sharda, popular Bollywood and classical singer Shankar Mahadevan, popular Bollywood musical group Culture Shock, among others.
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
US woman on mission to make Agra worthy of Taj

Agra: A 30-year-old psymunication divide," chologist and Yoga White said. teacher from New York "It's kind of a Robin came to Agra as a tourist Hood-type arrangement. but has now decided to You take from the rich stay back to "reform" the who have enough and city to make it worthy of plough back a portion to "such a beautiful monuthe needy and deserving," ment as the Taj Mahal." she said. "This city needs a push. White wants Agra to We need new community become cleaner and leaders who can command greener, not just physicalrespect and inspire peoly "but spiritually too." ple," says Erin White. "I have held a seminar White, who took part in of small businessmen and a program to feed lepers traders. They were told of near the Taj Mahal, said ethical practices and their Erin White in Agra she wants to stay in the responsibilities to society. city "till 60 or may be more as long as the The process of sensitizing them and to body permits." The Yoga teacher decided to teach them good manners will continue," do her bit and change perceptions of White said. tourists and local people, after she came to Tourists who visit the city engage in what India to help in charity work. she termed a kind of "rape." "The city is dirty and no one wants to "They come, touch, enjoy and go away. stay back here for a night. You have to What do they take or give? I am working teach people to be conscious of hygiene, on programs that would involve them to health and sensibilities of others. You have share the burden, make them work, teach, to build trust and reach out," she said. discuss or interact with the community. "I have now a nucleus of five people and Such tourists will be contacted online." will go on adding more and more good White's mantra is "discover, inspire and people for a cause that will bridge the com- defend."
Vaish delegates pay tribute to Gandhiji at NY chapter inauguration

New York: Ramdas Agarwal, former MP and Founder P r e s i d e n t , International Vaish Federation along with newly formed New York chapter team lead by its president Kailash Rawat paid tributes to Vaish Shiromani , father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi at Union Square park in International Vaish Federation members at the event New York on its first day of operaAt this occasion Haridas (AryaVaish) secretary gention . Having New York Kotahwala, working presi- eral, Gopinath Sabu, Vice chapter of IVF at worlds dent and mentor of NY President, Surender Gupta financial capital and taking chapter, Kailash Rawat, NY working president, inspiration from the one chapter president, V Satyabhusan Jain and who taught the world peace Nagendra Gupta (Arya Santosh Mangal, Jt Sec and non violence attributes Vaish), working president, General were present and to the spirit and culture of Animesh Goenka, Vice paid tribute to Mahatma Vaish community. President, Vishwa Prasad Gandhi.
ZEE TV America introduces special programs for South Asian kids

New York, NY: ZEE TV America launches new kids programmingin the USA. An array of four edutainment programs catered to South Asian children and teens makes learning a fun experience. The kids band began Tuesday, September 3rd and is scheduled to air Mondays to Fridays at 5:30p ET. The new kids programming is part of the ZEE Q brand and is targeted towards 4 14 year olds. The week-long spread of programs includes Brain Caf on Mondays, which showcases scientific concepts, theories and experiments. Teenovation on Tuesdays provides an inside look on recent innovations by children all over India. Airing on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Wordmatch is perfect for those aspiring to be the next spelling bee champion. Fridays will bring you Shabaash India. Sameer Targe, General Manager of ZEE Americas said, This step is in continuation of our effort to expand our viewership. We saw a strategic need-gap in the younger demo and took the opportunity to introduce kids programming. The challenge was to differentiate from the regular childrens programming that is available on American Television. Our kids programming is not just entertainment but its edutainment.
Central Jersey Lions Club organizes health camp at GGC

New Jersey: On Saturday, August 31, as a part of the Global Gujarati Conference, a successful health camp was organized with a cooperative effort of the "Friends of Gujarat, Central Jersey Lions Club, SKN Foundation, and dedicated healthcare providers and volunteers. The healthcare professionals were under the leadership of Dr. Sunil Parikh. In the camp, Dr. Akshay Patel and Dr. Priya Patel provided physical consultations, Dr. Usha Desai performed dental screenings, and Dr. Manoj Patel provided foot examinations. Furthermore, Dr. Kalpana Parikh and Dr. Yogesh Joshi gave Ayurvedic consultations and a team of medical assistants including Shobhana Desai, Snehal Parikh, Sarthak Parikh and Ami Patel performed hypertension and diabetes screenings. Dr. Naveen Mehrotra, founder of the SKN foundation, provided BMI screenings and consultations and expressed his concerns about the nutritional myths in Gujarati culture. In addition, Dr. Hinal Shah provided joint, muscles, and pain consultation. Lastly, Dr. Parikhs team from the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired provided eye screenings. Due to the over whelming response, the health camp was extended for an hour. In the end, these services were provided to more than one hundred and fifty individuals. Central Jersey Indian Lions Club President, Harish Mehta, coordinated the opening ceremony, led by Sanjeev Mehta, an invited guest to the conference from Gandhinagar. He is a chairman of the Vivekananda education complex and a BJP youth leader. The camp was visited by several dignitaries including Piyush(Pie) Patel, a philanthropist and NJ-based entrepreneur, and his associates, Jagdish Patel, Sandip Patel, Mercury Hotels, H. R. Shah, TV Asia Chairman and Satish Mori of V TV. Mrs. Antonia Ricigliano, the first female mayor of Edison Township, also attended the camp and awarded a certificate of appreciation to all the providers who dedicated their long weekend for the noble cause.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Stanford research: Most Americans take turban-wearers as Muslims

Palo Alto, CA: In a groundbreaking new study titled Turban Myths, researchers at SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund) and Stanford University found that 70 percent of Americans misidentify turban-wearers as Muslim (48 percent), Hindu, Buddhist or Shinto. In fact, almost all men in the U.S. who wear turbans are Sikh Americans, whose faith originated in India. Other key findings: Americans associate turban-wearers with Osama bin Laden, more than with named Muslim and Sikh alternatives and more than with no one in particular; 49 percent of Americans believe Sikh is a sect of Islam (it is an independent religion); 70 percent cannot identify a Sikh man in a picture as a Sikh;79 percent cannot identify India as the geographic origin of Sikhism. This research is critical to our community and confirms our real, lived experiences, said Jasjit Singh, executive director of SALDEF. We also know that we most effectively bridge these perception gaps when fellow Americans come to know us as the teachers, doctors, coaches, Moms, Dads, brothers, sisters, friends, neighbors and community servants we are. This study provides a roadmap for creating the mutual understanding and recognition of shared values that can help us build an American community larger than ourselves, and one that includes Sikh Americans as full participants. The study was overseen by Stanford University researcher and Peace Innovation Lab co-director Margarita Quihuis. It involved surveys, social science research and extensive interviews of influencers in the Sikh and civil rights community. Coming from the world of peace innovation we see a real path forward as a result of this research, said Quihuis. The bottom line is that these misperceptions are caught, not taught. Good people make associations based on imagery and messages all around them -from the grocery store to television to the digital world. In this case the Sikh American community has an opportunity to fill those perception gaps with the truth, in a constructive way to foster peace.
Historical magnum opus - Buddha to air on ZEE TV from Sept 8

New York, NY: All that we are is a result of what we have thought. If a man who walked the earth in the year 500 BCE had the vision to say something that remains so relevant in the year 2013, it is no wonder, then, that he is counted amongst the most important personalities to have been born in recorded history. We have all read about Buddha at one point or the other. Yet, so much remains to be explored about this powerful, magnetic thought leader who woke up to the Ultimate Truth under the Bodhi Tree. For instance, did you know that it was Prince Siddharth who pioneered elephant warfare in his time? Do any of us even know what he was like, as a child? What were the influences that shaped his thinking as a youth? We know the leader and his school of thought, but little do we know about the beautiful person within. Presenting Siddharthas illustrious journey of being born in the lap of luxury as a prince to his growing years to denouncing his throne and tional appeal with its grand scale, opulent sets at the Film City spread over a sprawling 5 acre plot, an impressive cast with renowned names like Kabir Bedi, Samir Dharmadhikari, Nigaar Khan, state-of-the-art 3D graphics used to re-create the look and feel of a bygone era, wellresearched costumes bought out of Jodhpur and Jaipur and customized jewelry sourced from Patna that bring alive the majestic lifestyles of the royal family of Kapilavastu. Subhash Chandra, Chairman of ZEEL and Essel Group said, ZEE (Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd) is delighted to partner with Dr B. K. Modi (Spice Studios) to present a new series which is a never-beforeseen biopic on television on the life of Buddha. We have been working with many researchers and experts on the subject. In todays fast paced lives, where so much conflict exists in society, Buddha's teachings are perfectly suited to the challenges man is currently facing.
living the life of an ascetic to attaining The Awakening is ZEE TVs next historical magnum opus Buddha produced by Spice Studios. Starting September 8th, Sunday mornings will never be the same again as Buddha will air at 11 am ET on ZEE TV. Told in 52 gripping episodes, this series will be an entertaining action drama that showcases the unexplored life of Buddha as Siddharth. The show has an interna-
Two Indians shot dead in grocery store, community shocked

Washington, DC: Two Indian-Americans running a grocery store in the US state of Indiana have been shot dead by masked men during a robbery attempt, sending shock waves among the Sikh community in the country. The victims have been identified as 55-year-old Jagtar Singh Bhatti from Preet Nagar in Jalandhar and 20-yearold Pawan Preet Singh from Munnan village in Hoshiarpur, according to the North American Punjabi Association (NAPA). Two masked men shot and killed store owner Jagtar Singh, and his employee Pawan Preet at Middlebury Street in the northern Indiana city of Elkhart Thursday, NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal said citing information received from the victims' families in India. Jagtar Singh was running his grocery shop for the last seven years and was living with Palwinder Singh Bhatti. According to another store employee Bill Sinclair, he was in the store's kitchen when he heard a noise like the pop of a firecracker. Two girls standing outside told him that two men in masks ran from the store and when he went inside, he saw Jagtar Singh and Pawan Preet had been shot. The local Indian American community was in shock as a vigil was held outside Saleh's Market.
Teenager killed due to prank gone wrong

New York: In a freak accident, an 18-year-old Indian-origin girl was killed in the when she jumped out of a closet to surprise a friend, who shot her thinking she was an intruder. Premila Lal jumped out of a closet as a harmless joke to surprise Nerrek Galley, a 21-year-old family friend. But the noise startled the friend, who grabbed a gun and shot her, her father Praveen Lal said. The incident happened on Friday night in Longmont, Colorado, north of Denver. The teenager's death was "unintended and extremely tragic", police said in a statement. Premila was a track star and was honored at a weekend cross-country meet at her alma mater, KVDR TV reported. Her family described her as an athlete, a popular girl and a strong student. "We lost a daughter, so we don't
Premila Lal
Jagtar Singh Bhatti (right) and Pawan Preet Singh
Condemning the deadly attack, Satnam Singh Chahal, executive director of North American Punjabi Association (NAPA), said the Sikh community is living under the shadow of fear and insecurity. NAPA in a statement urged the US government to leave no stone unturned to take all necessary measures to protect the lives and property of Sikhs.
want anybody else to lose their son, you know, especially when it was an accident," Praveen Lal told Denver TV station KCNC. Galley has been charged with reckless endangerment, child abuse and providing a gun to a juvenile because Lal's 15-year-old brother had access to the gun, police said. So far Galley has not been charged in Lal's killing. Police said they do not suspect the involvement of alcohol or drugs.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Manju Goel to run for US Congress

Chicago: Taking aim at "Obamacare" and the national debt, India-born Manju Goel is seeking Republican nomination for a Congressional run to challenge incumbent Democrat Tammy Duckworth. Goel, an Aurora resident and conservative is backed by a national group of Republicans, including Texas congressman Pete Sessions, in her run for 8th Congressional District of Illinois state, according to Chicago Daily Herald Outlining her campaign platform at a rally in Elk Grove Village Sunday, Goel took particular aim at "Obamacare," which she called the "biggest of all job killers." "Obamacare has to go, and Tammy Duckworth must go," she said asserting that neither patients nor doctors like Obama's signature legislation Affordable Health Care Act, dubbed Obamacare. "America is on the wrong track," she was quoted as saying. "We are spending $1.60 for every dollar we bring in. We are discouraging rather than encouraging entrepreneurs and job creators with burdensome regulations." In her campaign literature, Goel said she grew up in a middle-class family in northern India and came to the United States at the age of 21.
Lawyer Sunil Kulkarni named judge in California

Washington, DC: A leading Indian American lawyer, Sunil R. Kulkarni, has become the first South Asian American state judge in Northern California with his appointment to Santa Clara County Superior Court. Palo Alto, California, resident Kulkarni, 41 who since 2011 has served as a senior counsel in the litigation group at the University of California, was named to the new post by California governor, Jerry Brown. Indian American Paul Singh Grewal in 2010 was appointed a magistrate judge, a federal post, in US District Court for the Northern District of California, according to the South Asian Bar Association of Northern California. Born in Los Angeles, Kulkarni grew up in King City, California, in southern Monterey County. He has a BS from University of California-Berkeley and a law degree from the University of California's Hastings College of the Law. The Indian American attorney was a law clerk for Judge Oliver W. Wagner in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California from 199697 and held various positions at Morrison and Foerster LLP from 19982011, including partner and associate.
Obama appoints Indian-origin fund raiser to key post

Washington, DC: President Barack Obama has appointed Indian-origin philanthropist Azita Raji, who reportedly raised more than $3 million in contributions for his 2012 re-election campaign, to a key administration post. San Francisco-based Azita Raji, a trustee of Barnard College and a founding co-chair of the Athena Leadership Council of Barnard's Athena Philanthropist Azita Raji Centre for Leadership Studies, has been appointed as ment committee and the strategic Member of the President's Com- planning advisory group. Earlier in her career, Raji, a charmission on White House Fellowtered financial analyst, held senior ships. "I am honored that these talented positions at firms including JP individuals have decided to join Morgan Securities, Solomon this Administration and serve our Brothers, and Drexel Burnham country. I look forward to working Lambert. She was National Fiwith them in the months and years nance Vice-Chair for Obama for to come," Obama said in a state- America in 2012 and is a member ment announcing her appointment of the Advisory Board of the Social Enterprise Program at Columwith nine others. According to the White House bia Business School. Raji received a BA in Architecannouncement, Raji is also cochair of Barnard's development ture and French from Barnard Colcommittee and is a member of the lege and an M.B.A. in Finance executive committee, the invest- from Columbia Business School.
Manju Goel
She has degrees in applied computer science and health care management and served as a process improvement specialist for Advocate Healthcare. Today, she works as a self-employed consultant specializing in process control improvement. Goel arrived at the event with her backers, Sessions, the former chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and Carol Stream Indian-American businessman Shalli Kumar, Herald said. Both Sessions and Kumar are chairing a project to field 10 Indian-American Republican Congressional candidates. During the 2012 campaign, Kumar and other businessmen established an Indian-American SuperPAC to support Duckworth's opponent in the general election, former congressman Joe Walsh, the Herald reported.
Kaun Banega Crorepati premieres Sept 6 on Sony Entertainment Television Asia

Iconic host Amitabh Bachchan to present KBC 2013 in its brand new avatar
New York: After six stupendously successful seasons, Sony Entertainment Television launched Indias biggest and most anticipated game show Kaun Banega Crorepati 2013, in a brand new avatar. Geared with a faster and more innovative format and helmed by the incomparable icon, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, KBC 2013 will make Indians all over the world come alive once again and is all poised to set new benchmarks. Produced once again by Big Synergy Media Ltd, Kaun Banega Crorepati will launch on September 6, Friday to Sunday at 8.30 pm on Sony Entertainment Television. Keeping up the entertainment quotient of the show as always, will be the iconic host, Mr Amitabh Bachchan with his stylish wardrobe designed by famous fashion designThe Money Tree will now consist of 15 questions; There will be four questions in the Sapta Koti Sandook a brand new feature, that will give the contestants a chance to win from 1 crore to 3 crores, 5 crores and ultimately 7 crores; Yet another interesting innovation is the Fastest Finger First round which now becomes a Best out of three and the winner at the end enters the Hot Seat; More choice of lifelines Flip the question (Alat Palat) returns; A brand new lifeline called Power Paplu has been introduced. This lifeline will aid those who seek to revive any already used lifeline; and another interesting feature is the Play along for the Fastest Finger First contestants who do not make it to the hot seat. These contestants can now play along with the hot seat contestant and the one who answers the maximum number of questions in the minimum amount of time gets to win Rs. 1 lakh at the end of the episode Jaideep Janakiram, SVP International Business-Head of North America said Kaun Banega Crorepati is back once again with greater stakes, a brand new set and a thrilling lineup of over 35 episodes. Amitabh Bachchan and KBC season 7 will keep viewers on edge to see who will be the next winner. Eager contestants come from all over India giving viewers in the US a taste of the myriad hues with each episode. Get set to be glued to the edge of your seats and witness some brilliant winning moments on Indian television.
er Rohit Bal. For the first time in the shows history, KBC 2013 will have a brand new set and design elements, giving way to a magnificent 360 degree multimedia stage and making India the first ever country to change the Who wants to be a Millionaire set worldwide. For the first time ever in the history of KBC the jackpot prize will
be a whopping Rs. 7 Crores! The central theme of KBC this year, Seekhna Bandh Toh Jeetna Bandh will focus on creating a panIndia aspirational platform of opportunities that will appeal to Indians of all ages, gender and socioeconomic groups. Apart from this, the following changes have been implemented:
US AFFAIRS
Obama gives diplomacy a Syrian government, rebels chance in Syria crisis committing war crimes: UN
Washington: Seizing a Russian initiative to put Syria's chemical weapons under international control, President Barack Obama asked Congress to postpone a vote to authorize the use of force as the US seeks a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis. The continued erosion of support in Congress for military strikes and the resistance among the American people underscored Obama's challenge. Yet, in a nationally-televised address from the White House Tuesday night, Obama also made a forceful case for why the US must retaliate against Syrian president Bashar alAssad regime's alleged use of chemical weapons if diplomacy fails. "If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons," he said. "The purpose of a strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons and make clear to the world we will not tolerate their use." Though he has "a deeply held preference for peaceful solutions," the US and its military will "be in position to respond if diplomacy fails" to address the crisis in Syria, Obama said as he pledged to join two closest US allies, France and UK to negotiate with Russia over a UN resolution on a Syria solution. The use of chemical weapons last month in Syria "is not only a violation of international law, it's also a danger to our security," Obama said in the address which was originally intended to win over a skeptical Congress and a war-weary American public largely opposed to getting involved in yet another conflict. Secretary of State John Kerry was to travel to Geneva Thursday to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as US,
Secretary of State John Kerry testifies before the House Armed Services Committee during a hearing on the authorization of use of force in Syria.
French and British diplomats started working with Russia and China at the UN on a Security Council resolution "requiring Assad to give up his chemical weapons and to ultimately destroy them under international control." The White House, according to Politico, an influential Washington political news site, views the possibility of a diplomatic response as a "win-win." For it would either bring about a peaceful resolution or demonstrate that the US has exhausted its diplomatic options and has little choice but to respond to Assad's use of chemical weapons with military force, it said citing a senior official. Syrias foreign minister, Walid alMoallem, said Tuesday that his government was ready to turn over its chemical weapons stockpile in line with Russia's proposal in order "to thwart U.S. aggression." He also said Syria was prepared to sign an international chemical treaty it long has rejected a step it can take on its own at any time without U.S. or U.N. supervision.
Geneva/Moscow/Damasc us: The UN commission investigating human rights abuses in Syria Wednesday said that both the Syrian government and anti-government forces are committing war crimes even as Russia said that it has proof of the rebels using chemical weapons. In more than two years of conflict, the Syrian government and pro-government forces have continued to conduct widespread attacks on the civilian population, committing murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearance, Xinhua reported citing the latest report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Syria. Both sides have laid siege to neighborhoods and subjected them to indiscriminate shelling, said the report, which would be pre-
sented to the UN Human Rights Council's ongoing session Sep 16. It said that the government forces have committed gross violations of human rights and war crimes. Meanwhile, anti-government armed groups have also committed war crimes, including murder, execution without due process, torture, hostage-taking and attacking protected objects. They have besieged and indiscriminately shelled civilian neighborhoods, added the report, which also called for cessation of hostilities by warring parties and a return to negotiations. In Moscow, Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the international affairs committee of the Duma or the lower house of the Russian parliament, said that Russia
has submitted proof of use of chemical weapons by militants in Syria to the UN Security Council. "Chemical weapons must be outlawed. It is not only the government of Syria, but militants in Syria as well who have chemical weapons, ITAR-TASS quoted Pushkov as saying in a meeting of the Duma Wednesday. In another significant development, a main Syrian opposition group at home has hailed the Russian initiative put forward to avert a possible military action by the US against Syria. Safwan Akkashe, a member of the oppositional National Coordination Body (NCB), told Xinhua in an interview that the Russian initiative aimed at stripping Washington of its pretexts to unleash a military strike against Syria.
House GOP delays vote on bill to avert government shutdown

Washington: After conservative defections, House Republican leaders have delayed a vote on a bill to avert a government shutdown, saying that they need more time to build support for the proposal. The bill, which would fund the government until mid-December but would also include a provision to defund the Affordable Care Act, has exposed a strategic rift between GOP leadership and Tea Party-affiliated Republicans who want Obamacare gutted even if it risks a government shutdown. Some in the leaders camp are growing frustrated with the strategy by the partys most fervent anti-Obamacare wing, saying that the movements leaders in the Senate have not come up with a better plan than their proposed coupling of the government funding bill with a defunding of the Presidents signature legislative achievement. Does Ted Cruz have a plan to get 41 votes? Does he have a strategy he's executing on to get 41 votes? Not that I'm aware of, a GOP leadership aide told NBC News, Has he ever come to the House leadership and said, Here's my plan to get 41 votes in the Senate, to hold the line so we can defund Obamacare? Never. No. He's just on his twitter account attacking House Republicans. The GOP leaders strategy to combine the two measures is intended to force the Democratically-led Senate into a politically dicey vote on the health cares defunding. Conservative Republicans say that plan is merely a gimmick because the Senate could still strip out the health care provision and vote only on the government funding piece of the bill. They say they want legislation that would bind both measures together, making avoiding a government shutdown contingent on gutting the 2010 Obama health law.
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US AFFAIRS
Hope rises to 'reset' cricket in America

New Jersey: Jamie Harrison, president of the US Youth Cricket Association (USYCA) and newlyappointed chief executive of the American Cricket Federation (ACF), says the time has come to "press the reset button on 50 years of failure" in US cricket. The USA Cricket Association (USACA) has been the ICC-recognized national governing body in America since 1965, but Harrison says he's focused on forging a new path at the rival governing body ACF with the aim to satisfy stakeholders from around the country who have become disenchanted with the way cricket has been administered historically. "I want to talk to clubs and say, 'What can we do to help you achieve your goals to be better at what you do?' I think the main thing the ACF is, is a support, a buttress, a foundation upon which great things can be built," Harrison said in an interview with ESPNcricinfo. "We're not 'the peak body' that pushes everyone underneath of us and demands to be upheld. It's the flip. We're upholding everything else. We're making tribution of more than 1500 startup cricket sets to schools, organized ICC coaching courses so that teachers could be more knowledgeable when introducing the sport to kids in physical education classes. One of his main goals with ACF is to carry over a proactive approach from his previous endeavors that have generated positive results. "We're going to get stuff done," Harrison said. There's not going to be any committees and reports and evaluations. We're going to come up with plans and then we're going to act on them and things are going to happen. The ACF is holding its second men's national Twenty20 tournament in Florida from October 1214. The first ACF elections are scheduled for December. This is a momentous step in ACFs short history, commented Prof Gangaram Singh on behalf of the ACF Steering Committee on Harrisons appointment as CEO, not only as it fulfills a pressing need, but it does so with a candidate of exemplary qualification for the future of American cricket.
9/11 museum to open under the memorial in spring 2014
Jamie Harrison, CEO of American Cricket Federation, is planning to reverse history
everyone else better." Harrison, a 49-year-old from Maryland, first discovered cricket in 2008 when he led his high school history class students on a field trip to US Civil War sites in Richmond, Virginia where they were invited to participate in a historical cricket reenactment. With student interest piqued, a cricket club was formed at the school and Harrison volunteered to be its moderator. He then went on to form the Maryland Youth Cricket Association and co-founded the US Youth Cricket Association. Along the way, he has facilitated the dis-
The 'Cross', left, intersecting steel beams found in the rubble of 6 World Trade Center and a fragment of a trident column, center, one of 84 that formed the exterior structure of each tower are displayed during a media tour Sept. 6.
New York: Each artifact shows a haunting aspect of the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center Towers. The "cross" of intersecting steel beams from the rubble that became a symbol for remembering those lost in the attacks. The slurry wall. The last column taken from the site. An original stairway to World Trade Center Plaza. One of the fire trucks damaged in the towers' col-
lapse. All will be displayed when the museum is set to open next spring. The 9/11 Museum at the World Trade Center site was supposed to have opened two years ago, but officials say it is still in the works. The Museum will be built seven stories below the site and contractors say although it has been a complicated build, they promise it will be open by Spring.
And now, the Netflix for books is here
New group formed after Boy Scouts lift gay ban

Nashville, Tennessee: The Boy Scouts of America has some competition. In response to the iconic organizations decision to lift a ban on gay youth earlier this year, some former boy scouts convened here last weekend to chalk out a faith-based alternative. NBC News reports that more than 1,200 former Boy Scouts of America, hailing from 44 states, met here for a two-day national leadership conference, at which the new scouts name, logo, and uniforms were selected. Former Arkansas governor and one-time presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee was reportedly slated to speak at the convention. Most of us are coming from a highly-structured environment that has 103 years of culture and language and program and symbols and we are starting from scratch, John Stemberger who earned the title of Eagle Scout during his youth, said. Stemberger said the new organization is named Trail Life USA, a program that we believe will be stronger, safer and more principled in every way. The Boy Scouts longstanding policy on gay youth will reportedly take effect Jan. 1, 2014. I want to have a prominent faith component that will be weaved in every fiber of the program, Stemberger, an Orlando attorney who has reportedly been criticized for professing homophobic beliefs.
Worlds largest ferris wheel coming up in Las Vegas

Oyster allows users to download unlimited books to their iPhone for a $9.95 monthly fee.
New York: Meet Oyster, the book subscription app that wants to do for books what Netflix did for movies and what Spotify did for music; provide an all-you-canread experience for a monthly fee. For $9.95 a month, you can download and enjoy titles from HarperCollins, Workman, Melville House, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Boasting 100,000 titles so far, Oyster is still working to procure more publishing companies to add to its roster, reports Business Insider. Instead of focusing on a tablet experience to compete with other various e-readers, founders Eric Stromberg, Andrew Brown, and Willem Van Lancker shared on the company blog that they're concentrating on making a seam-
less app for smartphones. Were building Oyster as an end-to-end product created specifically for mobile. Everything from recommendations to the in-book experience allows you to easily reach for books at moments of impulse throughout your day whether on the subway, waiting for a friend to meet you for coffee, or while relaxing in the park. Founders Fund, a team of venture capitalists that includes Peter Thiel and Sean Parker, is Oyster's lead investor in their first round of financing. The app is currently in waitlist mode, a tactic many apps use to build excitement and hype around its launch. You can visit Oyster to get yourself on the waiting list.
Las Vegas: What happens in Vegas will now be able to be seen from pretty high up. The worlds largest Ferris wheel, expected to be completed this week in Las Vegas, will be 100 feet higher than the London Eye. The outer wheel on the 55-story High Roller when placed will complete part of a $550 million development. The High Roller, which will be taller than the Bellagio, is part of a planned outdoor plaza across from Caesars Palace that is expected to open this winter. Like the London Eye, the High Roller will have 40people pods and will have a 30minute revolutionalthough there will also be audiovisual shows to complement the view. Early next year, it will be outfitted with 1,500 LED lights, and start its slow spin. "It's going to be an icon," Project Director David Codiga
The ferris wheel named High Roller is set to dominate Vegas skyline.
said. "It's going to be a part of your visit to Las Vegas if you ride it or not. It's more or less impossible not to see it if you come here."
Caesars Entertainment Corp., which owns more casinos than any other US gambling company, is building the ride.
INDIA
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Communal riots rock Will Modi be BJP's PM candidate? Uttar Pradesh, 37 dead
New Delhi: The BJP's prime ministerial nominee for the 2014 general elections would be announced after "talking to everyone", party president Rajnath Singh said. "We will decide after talking to everyone and will make the announcement at the appropriate time," Rajnath Singh said. According to party sources, there is a broad agreement on the name of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate. A formal announcement may be made Friday when the BJP parliamentary board meets to approve Modi's candidature. But a major concern for Rajnath Singh is to convince senior leaders L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj, who are of the opinion that a decision on Modi's projection as prime ministerial candidate should be taken after the assembly polls in five states, said sources. Rajnath Singh: "No one is miffed with anyone." Agreed party spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi: "Discussions are going on and we will announce the nominee soon. There is no contradiction in the party on who will be the prime ministerial candidate. All is well." In case a general consensus among the parliamentary board does
Senior leaders like L.K. Advani and Sushma Swaraj are reportedly averse to the idea of announcing Narendra Modi as party PM candidate.
The Supreme Court said it will hear a plea seeking a CBI probe into the Muzaffarnagar violence
Muzaffarnagar: A tense Muzaffarnagar was largely calm even as the death toll in one of the worst communal outbreaks in Uttar Pradesh officially stood at 37. fficials speaking on the condition of anonymity, however, said that 48 people have been killed.O They said two bodies were found from a farm in Kiran village in neighbouring Baghpat, where a few policemen were injured Wednesday when a mob pelted them with stones, officials said. The situation was soon brought under control, and 25 people were booked for the violence. The government had earlier put the death toll at 38 but clarified later that a man found dead had no links to the communal violence which engulfed Muzaffarnagar district from Saturday to Monday. Tens of thousands of men and women poured on to the streets for panic buying of essential commodities when authorities relaxed curfew Wednesday noon for four hours. When the four hours got over, the otherwise bustling Muzaffarnagar again became a ghost town, taken over by soldiers and other security forces. According to official statistics, 93 people were injured in the riots, of which nine remain in hospital. Three of them are in critical condition. The Uttar Pradesh government announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs.1 million to the next of kin of each of the dead. Those seriously injured would be given Rs.50,000 each. Eight columns of the army marched through the streets of the city of four million to give a sense
of security to its shell-shocked residents. An additional 29 companies of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and paramilitary forces have also been deployed in the city. The Uttar Pradesh government, facing flak that it did not act promptly to curb the violence, again appealed to people not to pay heed to rumors. An official spokesman said a one-man judicial commission of Justice Vishnu Sahay will be based in Muzaffarnagar, 130 km west of New Delhi, and submit its report in two months. The commission was appointed to study the reasons behind the riots. Home Secretary Kamal Saxena also urged people not to be carried away by video clips on mobile phones and social networking sites. He said the National Security Act had been slapped on seven people and further legal action against them was being taken. In a related development, a public interest litigation was filed in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court seeking a probe by the CBI into the 35-odd communal clashes Uttar Pradesh has seen since Akhilesh Yadav became the chief minister in March 2012. In New Delhi, the Supreme Court said it will hear a plea seeking a CBI probe into the Muzaffarnagar violence. The nine petitioners have sought an investigation into the "whole incident of mass genocide" and "proper and adequate rehabilitation" for an estimated 20,000 victims.
not emerge, Rajnath Singh can also make an announcement even without a parliamentary board meeting as he has the power to do so, according to the party constitution. Earlier, former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi criticised senior leader L.K. Advani for not supporting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate. "Advaniji has failed to gauge the public mood. Advaniji himself declared Atalji as PM candidate. Now also he could have done the same for Namo (Narendra Modi),"
Sushil Modi wrote on Twitter Wednesday night. Nearly a month ago, the Bihar unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) passed a resolution to declare Narendra Modi as the party's prime ministerial candidate for the 2014 general elections. A BJP leader said that a few months ago, Sushil Modi was considered close to Advani and was a vocal supporter of the party patriarch within the BJP. But the changing equation in the party in favour of Narendra Modi forced him to take an anti-Advani stand.
Delhi gang-rape Asaram Bapu's aide sent to jail case sentencing Friday
New Delhi: A Delhi court reserved the order on sentencing the four convicted in the Dec 16 gangrape case to Friday. Additional Sessions Judge Yogesh Khanna said he would deliver the verdict on Sep 13. Additional Public Prosecutor Dayan Krishnan sought death penalty for all the four who were convicted for the Dec 16 gang rape and murder of a 23year-old physiotherapy intern here. Police sought death penalty for the attackers, saying they only deserve "death sentence" for the brutal crime. The defence counsel, however, sought leniency for the accused saying the crime was committed on the "spur of the moment and was not premeditated". The four accused were Tuesday convicted for gangrape, murder, attempt to murder, and kidnapping, among other charges. Meanwhile, the punishment of a three-year stay in a reform home given to the lone minor accused in the Dec 16, 2012 gang rape left the victim's family angry and sparked a minor protest by those seeking death for the guilty.
Asaram Bapu has been booked under various sections for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor girl
Jodhpur: Shiva, an aide of spiritual guru Asaram Bapu, was sent to nine days judicial custody by a court here in a case of abetting an alleged sexual assault by the spiritual guru on a minor at his ashram last month. Chief Judicial Magistrate Chandrakala Jain sent Shiva to jail till Sep 16, said a police officer. Shiva, worked as the main caretaker for Asaram,72, was arrested Sep 2, a police officer said. "Shiva was interrogated for three days when he was in police custody," he said. According to the girl, who studied at Asaram Bapu's ashram at Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh and stayed in
a hostel there, she was sexually assaulted by Asaram in a room at his ashram near Jodhpur on the pretext of exorcism Aug 15. Shiva threatened the girl not to disclose the incident, the officer said. The girl's family, from Uttar Pradesh, were among followers of Aaram Bapu at the time of the incident, police said. Asaram has been booked under various sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Indian Penal Code. He has denied the allegations. The spiritual guru was arrested from Indore in Madhya Pradesh Sep 1 and brought to Rajasthan.
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INDIA
Odisha top investment destination in India

New Delhi: Odisha emerged as the hottest investment destination for new projects as investor interest in "prosperous" states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu declined during 2012-13, latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India showed. Through a dozen projects funded by bank loans, Odisha managed to get investors to commit to around Rs 53,000 crore investment, a 27% share of all-India investments. In contrast, Maharashtra is expected to get investment of around Rs 21,400 crore in 70 projects, or 10.9% of the pie. Punjab was the other surprise, moving to the third spot with a dozen projects expected to generate investments of over Rs 20,600 crore. The numbers aren't good news for the BJP and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, who are using high economic growth and investment in the western state as a key theme ahead of the 2014 general elections. Similarly, Karnataka, where the principal
2014 polls not about Rahul vs Modi: Jairam

New Delhi: The 2014 general elections should not be reduced to a contest between Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi of the BJP and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, a union minister said. "Do not reduce national elections to contest of personalities. This is not a choice between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi," Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh told CNN-IBN channel in an interview. "We are a party-based parliamentary form of democracy. Parties compete with one another on the basis of their manifestoes, their ideologies, the performance, the sentiments. Yes, leaders are important, leaders provide directions, leaders give shape, architecture to a strategy," he said. Ramesh, a party strategist, said Gandhi's style of working was different from Modi's as the Congress vice president keeps a low profile. "The fact of the matter is we have a Congress vice president who is active, who is hands on. We don't need to project anybody," he said. Ramesh criticised Modi's style of campaigning and said the Congress
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi
Odisha managed to get investors to commit to around Rs 53,000 crore investment
opposition was in power until recently, has lost sheen amid corruption-related charges. But Andhra Pradesh (Rs 11,000 crore) retained the fourth slot despite the state being hit by Telangana-related protests for the past several months, while Gujarat (Rs 10,600 crore) ranked fifth. At the all-India level, however, the numbers confirmed the goslow on investments with the
number of new investment intentions by 969 companies adding up to Rs 2.6 lakh crore in 2012-13, compared to Rs 2.5 crore by 1,127 companies in the previous year. This means that in terms of the amount involved the increase is barely 5%. Companies have cited lower demand and higher interest rates for slowing down capital expenditure for expansion as well as new projects.
was not like that. "We are going not like Mr. Narendra Modi is going, saying I.I.I. Me.Me.Me.I am your Ali Baba. I am the guy who has got your 'jadu ki chhadi' (magic wand). I am the guy who is going to take you across and deliver all the great things you have been dreaming of. That's not our strategy," he said. Gandhi is not like Modi, he said. "The Congress has a galaxy of leaders and Rahul is an important leader who discharges his duties," he said. Taking a dig at the Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh, Ramesh termed the Muzzafarnagar communal riots horrendous.
No visa, Modi to address US India's orbiter for mars mission coming soon through satellite
Bangalore: India has built the orbiter for the country's maiden Mars mission in OctoberNovember, to take off from the spaceport at Sriharikota off the Bay of Bengal, an official said. "The Mars orbiter is in the final stages of testing for launch between Oct 21 and Nov 19 on board a rocket with five scientific instruments to conduct various experiments after a nine-month voyage to the red planet," Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) satellite Center director S.K. Shivkumar told reporters here. As the fourth planet from sun, Mars is the second-smallest celestial body in the solar system, at a whopping distance of 400 million km (250 million miles) from earth. Named after the Roman god of war, it is also known as red planet due to the presence of iron oxide in abundance, giving it a reddish appearance. The Mars mission will cost the government Rs.450 crore (Rs.4.5 billion), including Rs.150 crore for the spacecraft, Rs.110 crore for the rocket and Rs.190 crore to augment ground stations for operations, including navigation and communications. "The spacecraft has been built in a record 12 months to orbit elliptically around Mars for six months at a distance of 375 km from its surface when closer, and 80,000 km when away," Mars orbiter mission project director S. Arunan said. The 1,340 kg spacecraft (at lift-
Narendra Modi will address party workers and Overseas Friends of BJP
The Mars mission will cost the government Rs.4.5 billion
Ahmedabad: So what if Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi hasnt received the US visa yet. He will be directly beamed to US through satellite in the last week of this month! According to agency reports, Narendra Modi will address party workers and Overseas Friends of BJP at Tampa city, which falls in US' state of Florida, on September 21. The theme of the conference is 'Mission 2014: BJP 272+'. The three-day conference from September 20 is scheduled to be inaugurated by BJP vice-president Smriti Irani. The agenda will be garnering support ahead of 2014 general elections. In a statement, OFBJP, a US body whose members associate themselves with, and support the BJP in
India, said Modi would be addressing their annual convention through satellite live. The convention, to be attended by Indian-Americans and OFBJP from across the country, will deliberate on harnessing the latest technology and social media tools in support of the BJP, said Chandrakant Patel, OFBJP's in-coming president. Modi had plans to visit the US ahead of elections soon after he was crowned BJPs chief campaigner for 2014 general elections. But, a controversial letter signed by some prominent lawmakers brought up the issue of his alleged role in 2002 riots in Gujarat. Later, on August 16, media carried a report that a top American official had opposed the grant of visa to Modi.
off) will be shipped to the spaceport Sep 27 for integrating it with the 350-tonne rocket, which is an extended version of the space agency's workhorse, the polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV-XL). "The launch date will depend on weather conditions and other parameters during the month-long window we have," Arunan said. The orbiter will be in the earth's orbit for 25 days after launch and fired the next day, to set off on a nine-month voyage to reach Martian orbit by Sep 21, 2014. "The spacecraft will be inserted in the earth's orbit at 248 km and pushed up to 23,000 km over 25 days to set off on a long voyage to enter the Marsian orbit after next nine months next year," Arunan pointed out.
The five instruments on board the orbiter are the layman alpha photometer, methane sensor, max exospheric neutral composition analyser, colour camera and thermal infrared imaging spectrometer. "All the instruments are indigenous and have been built at our centers in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram. The colour camera will take pictures of earth and moon when passing over the lunar planet on the way, and finally of Mars from its orbit," the space agency's programme director M. Annadurai said. India's tryst with the red planet comes five years after its maiden moon mission (Chandrayaan-1) in October 2008, which discovered water beneath lunar soil through one of its 11 instruments.
OP-ED
13
5 steps India must take to restore global confidence

By Rahul Singh he recent Global Competitiveness Report 2013-14, ranking India at No. 60, leaves no doubt that these are exceptionally dire times for the Indian economy. This World Economic Forum report of Sep 4 puts India 31 places below its emerging market peer China and barely ahead of Russia; it is India's lowest rank in this survey. Concerns on India's lack of transport, information and communications technology (ICT) and energy infrastructure are "largely insufficient and ill-adapted to the needs of the economy". This is truly a reflection on India's lack of commitment to economic development. The report highlights serious concerns voiced by Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata last month, when he said: "We have lost the confidence of the world. We have been slow to recognize that in the government." The current economic scenario is no less grave than the 1991 crisis. The government is in a state of pol-
icy paralysis. A trust deficit irks foreign companies in India. Economic growth tests a new low every month. Independent studies talk of rampant corruption. The government in an Ostrichlike approach refuses to address serious threats, terming these as a momentary phase that shall pass soon. Economists and business groups call it a policy paralysis and leaderless politics. The political will is at its lowest in the last few decades, operational efficiency of the government is analogous to the pre-liberalization era and there is visible negotiation for development between inclusive growth and economic growth. However, they ought to go parallel. Since India cannot remain impervious in this globalized and integrated economic eco-system, it has no option but to change and be dynamic in its performance. The government cannot function on a low performance index for long; it has to be accountable to deliver and be responsible for inaction. The extremely poor Balanced Score Card of Indian government
performance demands drastic change before India loses to lowest, if it is still in offering amongst emerging markets. Here are a few macro-level actions to fix the situation, to arrest the fall and to reverse the depressing escalation: * First, policies and institutions for restoring global business confidence in India and ensuring ease of operations for business are a must. While it is good to have the attention of the opposition on issues of corruption, social security, and inclusion, it is equally obligatory on its part to extend cooperation to create a dynamic economic ecosystem that can speed up growth. A Business Advisory Council comprising business leaders, management experts and economists is needed urgently to work on policy issues only along the lines of National Advisory Council. * Second, reforms for doing business and sustaining business are needed on a continuous basis to balance foreign investments. A focussed annual reform plan needs to be introduced. This will help in
The current economic scenario is no less grave than the 1991 crisis. The government is in a state of policy paralysis.
introducing reforms and managing the developments in the domain. Infrastructure, manufacturing and the supply chain should have an annual execution plan to create a great eco-system. A piecemeal approach does not work and builds no resilience. * Third, India needs to get started on the path of economic diplomacy besides focussing on the diplomacy of terrorism and security. The fact is developed markets have influence today, but emerging markets will influence tomorrow; so we need to better our relationship with emerging markets. The US diplomatic corps in India is bigger than the Indian diplomatic corps globally. India's diplomatic capability is disproportionate to its
responsibility. * Fourth, the government should give bigger responsibility to chambers of commerce and the chambers need to share their research and opinions with the government as a bridge between the government and industry. They also have to take up larger responsibility in marketing the nation on behalf of the government and building Brand India. * Fifth, India needs to introduce single window entry solution policy like few other countries. Countries with a growth risk are looking towards a 25-year plan while India is not even looking at the next five years. India needs to change this and move forward if it wishes to be a significant player in the economic history of the 21st Century.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Accepting Applications
For January 2014
14
FEATURE
Most surprising things about America, as seen by an Indian student

is so hard that it makes sense to work collaboratively to the point that students learn from each other. Strong ethics everyone has a lot of integrity. If someone cannot submit their completed assignment in time, they will turn in the assignment incomplete rather than asking for answers at the last minute. People take pride in their hard work and usually do not cheat. This is different from students from India and China as well as back home in India, where everyone collaborates to the extent that it can be categorized as cheating. Rich people are thin/ well maintained, poor people are fat. This stems from the fact that cheap food is fatty, rich people don't eat cheap food they tend to eat either home-cooked food which is expensive or eat at expensive / healthy places. Unfortunately, it is expensive to be healthy in America. Fat people are not respected much in society. Being fat often has the same connotations as being irresponsible towards your body. I went down from being 210 lbs to 148-150 lbs. The way people started treating me when I was thin was generally way better than the way I was treated when I was fat. As a small example, the Starbucks baristas were much nicer to me and made me drinks with more care / love. Girls are not very promiscuous, contrary to most Hollywood films. Almost every single person in America has access to basic food, clothing, water and sanitation. I haven't been to states like Louisiana and cities like Detroit, but from what I can tell, nobody is scrambling for the basic necessities required for sustenance. Dearth of African Americans in technical fields. This probably stems from the fact that they aren't given enough opportunity, broken families, etc. I'm pretty sure you can extend upon this if you'd like. It's expensive to have brick houses in America, contrary to India where brick houses are the norm. Emphasis on physical fitness / being outdoorsy this is more of a California thing but I noticed families going on biking trips, boat trips, hiking, camping, barbecuing, etc. Americans take pride in the natural beauty of their surroundings and tend to make the most of it. that you can literally buy anything, including food, and return it within ninety days for a full refund even if you don't have a specific reason for doing so (most stores actually have a "Buyer's Remorse" category under Reason for Return options while returning the product). The pervasiveness of fast food and the sheer variety of products available: The typical supermarket has at least a hundred varieties of frozen pizza, 50 brands of trail mix, etc. I was just astounded by the different kinds of products available even at small gas station convenience stores. Soda being cheaper than bottled water: It makes no sense that carbonated and flavored water with HFCS are cheaper than regular water, but hey, that's just how it is. The fact that there are full service rest stops with decent chain restaurants and big supermarkets every couple of miles on interstate highways. Fruit and vegetable prices, as compared to fast food prices: * Bag of grapes : $6.00 * Box of strawberries : $5.00 * 1 lb tomatoes : $3.00 * McChicken : $1.00 * McDouble : $1.00 Unlimited soda refills: The first time (and one of the last times...) I visited McDonalds in 2007, the cashier gave me an empty
Aniruddh Chaturvedi came from Mumbai to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Penn., where he is majoring in computer science. This summer he interned at a tech company in Silicon Valley. His following observations on American society were posted on Quora and offered in an email to Business Insider.
cup when I ordered soda. The concept of virtually unlimited soda refills was alien to me, and I thought there was a catch to it, but apparently not. Serving Sizes: American serving sizes are HUGE! I've noticed that entree sizes are huge as well. I am by no means a small eater, but it usually takes me at least 1.5 meals to finish the entree. US Flag displayed everywhere: I was surprised to see that the US flag is displayed in schools, on rooftops of houses, etc. India has very strict rules governing the display and use of the national flag. Also, something that struck out to me was how it was completely normal to wear the US flag or a US flag-like pattern as a bikini. Over-commercialization of festivals: I'm not denying that festivals like Diwali and Eid aren't extremely commercialized in India, but America takes it to a whole new level. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, etc., and an almost year-round sale of Christmas, Halloween, Easter, etc. items. An almost-classless society: I've noticed that most Americans roughly have the same standard of living. Everybody has access to ample food, everybody shops at the same malls, stores, etc. I've seen plumbers, construction workers and janitors driving their own sedans (such people in India live hand to mouth). Also, (almost) all sections of society are roughly equal. Obtaining credit in this country is easy. Anybody can buy anything, for the most part, except for something like a Maserati, obviously. As a result, most possessions like an iPhone aren't really status symbols. I believe that the only status symbol in America is your job, and possibly your educational qualifications.
By Aniruddh Chaturvedi Nobody talks about grades here. Everyone is highly private about their accomplishments and failures. Someone's performance in any field is their performance alone. This is different compared to India where people flaunt their riches and share their accomplishments with everybody else. The retail experience is nowhere near as fun/nice as it is in India. Because labor is cheap in India, there is always someone who will act as a "personal shopper" to assist you with holding your clothes, giving suggestions, etc. In America, on the other hand, even if you go to a Nordstrom or Bloomingdales, there is almost nobody to help you out while you're shopping. Shopping in America is more of a commodity / chore than it is a pleasurable activity This may be biased/wrong because I was an intern, but at least in the tech world, nobody wants to put you under the bus for something that you didn't do correctly or didn't understand how to do. People will sit with you patiently till you get it. If you aren't able to finish something within the stipulated deadline, a person on your team would graciously offer to take it off your plate. The same applies to school. Before I came to the US, I heard stories about how students at Johns Hopkins were so competitive with each other that they used to tear important pages from books in the library just so other students didn't have access to it. In reality, I experienced the complete opposite. Students were highly collaborative, formed study groups, and studied / did assignments till everyone in the group "got it". I think the reason for this is that the classes are / material
Girls are not very promiscuous, contrary to most Hollywood films.
Americans waste a lot of food. It is very easy to buy in bulk because it's so much cheaper and as a result a lot of wastage occurs. Obsession with coffee Starbucks, Dunkin' etc is crowded with office-goers and students every morning. I don't understand why they can't drink or make coffee before leaving for work. Such a waste of money! ($5/day * 5days / week * 52weeks/year)! Split families, not having married parents, etc is not seen differently than the contrary. Support towards the LGBT community it's fairly normal to be part of the LGBT community; it's not considered a mortal sin if you like someone in your own gender or if you aren't comfortable being male/female/etc. Proof of this is the LGBT Pride Day held in every city etc. Smoking weed is seen the same as smoking cigarettes. And here are some more things he found surprising about America, excerpted from his post last summer on Quora : The way that stores price their products makes no apparent economic sense, and is not linear at all. For example, at a typical store: * 1 can of coke : $1.00 * 12 cans of coke : $3.00 * 1 Hagen-Dazs ice cream bar : $3.00 * 12 Hagen-Dazs ice cream bars : $7.00 The return policy on almost everything: None of my friends back in India believed me when I told them
Soda dispensers give you scores of options -- Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Sprite, Sprite Zero, Hi-C, Powerade, Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade (and/or their coca-cola counterparts)...the list goes on and on.
LENS EYE
15
The Week in Pictures

Devotees immerse a Ganesh idol in Ganga waters in Kolkata Sept 11 after the end of Ganesh festival.
The Kedarnath temple, which bore the brunt of Uttarakhand floods fury earlier this year, reopened Sept 11 for a few weeks.
Pope Francis called for reconciliation in Syria on Sept 7 as he led a mass peace vigil on St Peters Square in Vatican and millions of Catholics worldwide were joined by their brethren from other faiths in a day of fasting and prayer.
Music maestro Zubin Mehta leading the Ehsaas-e-Kashmir concert in Srinagar Sept 8, that was protested by Kashmir militants.
A girl poses among American flags which students and staff of Pepperdine University erected in Malibu, CA, to commemorate the victims of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in New York.
16
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
New Delhi: The box office will see multiple releases in varied genres this weekend with audiences getting options to choose from comedy film, "Grand Masti", thriller "John Day" to horror flick "Horror Story". A sequel to 2004 released film "Masti", "Grand Masti" is a multistarrer comedy featuring Vivek Oberoi, Aftab Shivdasani and Riteish Deshmukh in the lead. The film has been directed by Indra Kumar and has been presented by Bharat Shah. "The film has been made in a budget of Rs.35 crore and more than 2000 screens have been allocated for the film," Shah said. While "Grand Masti" has a host of established stars, Vikram Bhatt's "Horror Story" will mark the debut of its lead actor, Karan Kundra.
The film has been directed by Ayush Raina. "The film has been made in a budget of Rs.5 crore which includes publicity as well. The number of screens given to the film is about 800-1000," Bhatt said. Thriller "John Day" has been directed by Ahishor Solomon and stars Naseeruddin Shah, Randeep Hooda in major roles. The film has been produced by Anjum Rizvi who is hoping a good response for the film. "I can't predict how the film will do. But it is of a different genre than the other two films releasing and the audience for this, is different. let's hope for the best," Rizvi said.
A scene from 'Grand Masti'
'Zanjeer' - a Big B T remake that gets it right

Review
et's not get carried away. Every time a remake comes along, we get gooey-eyed and nostalgic about the original. The "Zanjeer" remake gets it right. Dead right. Unlike Ram Gopal Varma's remake of "Sholay", which was purely misguided, and Karan M a l h o t r a ' s "Agneepath", which was unnecessarily brutal, "Zanjeer" is A poster of 'Zanjeer' just what a remake should be. It's respectful to the unique brand of silent satyagraoriginal material which, let me ha to his character. When we hasten to add, was no master- first see him on screen, he walpiece, and suspiciously similar lops a goonda-politician on a to a 1967 film called "Death busy road of Hyderabad as a Rides A Horse". What makes hoarding of Ram Charan's father Vijay Khanna in the new Chiranjeevi's film looks down "Zanjeer" special is the plot- on the chaotic scene. A version of "Raghupati mechanics which put him in time-worn situations, but subject raghav..." plays in the backhim to dramatic dynamics that ground as Ram Charan lets us give the prototypical Angry Cop know without wasting time, that a renewed riveting life of violent he means business. The film's action, by Javedscore-settling. That this time the Angry Cop, Ejaz, feels and looks right. The who was played with such com- attention paid to getting the pelling candidness by Amitabh action sequences right is highly Bachchan in the original commendable. There is an elab"Zanjeer", is played by Ram orately staged multiple-exploCharan Teja is just a huge stroke sion sequence in a huge of luck for the remake. Ram Dharavi-like slum which Charan brings in an entirely belongs to a Vin Diesel-starrer.
aj Mohammed Rangrez, a history teacher from Udaipur, created history by becoming the first person to win a whopping Rs.1 crore on TV reality game show "Kaun Banega Crorepati 2013". He "can't believe it". All came to a standstill when the show's host, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, tossed the Rs.1 crore question to hot seat contestant Rangrez. But he answered it correctly to become the first contestant to win the desired title of a 'crorepati' on the seventh edition of the show. Rangrez is ecstatic. "It is a moment to rejoice and celebrate and extremely difficult to believe that 'I am a crorepati'. It is splendid indeed to know that I am also the first contestant this season
KBC 2013 gets its first crorepati

to have won Rs. 1 crore," Rangrez said in a statement ."I was confident of the game and did not want to exhaust my lifelines at the start of the game itself," added the City of Lakes' Fatehgarh School teacher, whose seven-year-old daughter is partially blind. He wants to use the money for her treatment as well for his
Taj Mohammed Rangrez with Amitabh Bachchan
family's welfare. "Now that I have won, my priority remains in treating my daughter who is partially blind. Also, I wish to buy a house, educate three underprivileged girls and get two orphan girls married," he said.
Shahid's chocolate boy look works for 'Phata...'

ctress Ileana D'Cruz, who is acting with Shahid Kapoor for the first time in upcoming action-comedy "Phata Poster Nikhla Hero," feels Shahid's chocolate boy look works in favor of their film and that it is also the reason for their great on-screen chemistry. "On-screen chemistry has really worked for me and Shahid, as it is a fresh pairing. Shahid is playing such a wonderful role. He has got chocolate boy kind of image, but I think it has really worked for our film. He is playing different shades of everything," Ileana said here. "There is immense amount of action in the film, but there is also comedy, drama and so much of romance as well. I think it has worked so well for us and people will see me second time after 'Barfi!', so I believe it will work," she added. "Phata Poster Nikhla Hero", directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, features Shahid as Vishwas Rao, an aspiring actor, while Ileana plays a self-appointed social worker, Kajol. It will hit the theaters on Sep 20.
Shahid and Ileana on a promotional spree for 'Phata Poster Nikhla Hero'
ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD
17
B-town wishes happy Ganesh Chaturthi O

n the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, several Bollywood celebrities like Bipasha Basu, Madhur Bhandarkar and Pooja Bhatt sent online greetings to their friends, family and fans, wishing that the good lord blesses them all. While some are excited about 10-day-long festivities, others hope Ganesha brings happiness to everyone's life. Here's what the stars had to say on microblogging site Twitter: Madhur Bhandarkar: May Lord Ganesha bestow success, happiness and prosperity on you and your family. Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. Pooja Bhatt: Ganesh Chaturthi reminds me of my grandmother Shireen Nanabhai Bhatt. She was a Muslim who inculcated in me a genuine love for Lord Ganesh. Manoj Bajpayee: Ganpati Bappa Morya! May Shri Ganesha bless you all with peace and prosperity! Divya Dutta: (I)can hear Ganpati Bappa Morya everywhere! Welcme Bappa! Bipasha Basu: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganpati Bappa Morya! Satish Kaushik: May lord Ganpati bring happiness and success to everyone...Ganpati Bappa Morya. Jacqueline Fernandez: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. May Ganesh ji bless us all. Shekhar Ravjiani: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! May the path to success always be free of obstacles for you all. Stay blessed always. Satish Kaushik: May lord Ganpati brings happiness and success to everyone. Ganpati Bappa Morya.
Salman Khan with others celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai
'Krrish 3': Hrithik shows old dance moves
fter two super-successful installments, Hrithik Roshan is back as Krrish in the third part of the Rakesh Roshan directed franchise. The teaser for a new song Raghupati Raghav from Hrithik Roshan-starer 'Krrish 3' has been released. In the 16 second teaser, Hrithik makes you remember his debut film Kaho Na Payar Hai where he won hearts with his dance moves. Has the actor become repetitive The Music Director of Raghupati Raghav & other songs of Krrish3 is Rajesh
Hritik Roshan in 'Krrish 3'
Roshan and the background score of the movie is done by Salim Suleman. Hrithik Roshan plays a superhero in Krrish 3.
'Satyagraha' crosses Rs. 50 crore mark

rakash Jha's "Satyagraha" has collected Rs. 50 crore at the box office in the first six days of its release. The filmmaker says he is "delighted" and "humbled" with the response to his film. "'Satyagraha' is a film for the people and of the people of the country. The audiences have given us their acceptance and love. I'm happy that for a film like 'Satyagraha', we are reaching these milestones and the film is growing from strength to strength," Jha said. "Satyagraha" released Aug
A scene from 'Satyagraha'
30. It garnered around Rs. 51.92 crore till Wednesday night. The political thriller features actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Amrita Rao and Manoj Bajpayee.
18
TRAVEL
an Lorenzo del Escorial, Alcal de Henares and Aranjuez have a lot in common: They are Unesco Heritage enclaves and are also denominated "Legacy Cities" of Spanish capital Madrid. The Royal Palace of San Lorenzo del Escorial became a Unesco Heritage site in 1984. The Basilica, Felipe II's rooms, its library with more than 6,000 manuscripts and the Friars' Garden are testimony to this. But these are only a few architectural attractions of this beautiful town, framed by Abantos Hill and Herreria Mount, where every year a huge peregrination takes place. At the centre of the town, San Lorenzo del Escorial delights the visitor with several edifications designed by Juan Villanueva (18th century exponent of neoclassical architecture), and its cobbled streets, really impressive due to
their verticality. Several restaurants offer dishes such as roasted lamb or a famous stew - Madrid "cocido" - that is served in the El Charoles outlet. Alcalde Henares is the first university city in the world planned specifically for this purpose. This boasts the birthplace of Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes, now converted into a museum. The city also hosts the Magistral Cathedral, one of two such in the world, along with the St. Peter's in Louvaine. This means that all of its canons had to be the magister of the university. Late Gothic in style, finished with a Herrera which dominates the belfry, is the main architectural characteristic of this imposing building which stands out in the city. Aranjuez had to wait until 2001 to be declared a World Heritage
Aerial view of San Lorenzo de El Escorial Monastery in Madrid, Spain.
City. Its environment and architectural wealth are testimony to the perfect coexistence between art and nature. The Royal Palace and its gardens constitute the most popular monument of this town. Located between the Tajo and Jarama rivers, this Herrera style building's
main facade has the statues of the three kings who helped in its construction: Felipe II, Fernando VI and Carlos III. Its white and red facade and the rococo balustrade staircase are its other important characteristics. The palace gardens are a huge open space with canals and several fountains.
How to get there:

Take a flight to a European hub like Frankfurt or London and thence a flight to Madrid. From Madrid to San Lorenzo de El Escorial you can go by car in less than an hour or by Line C8a of Madrid Short distance train.
Chandigarh's 'hot-spot' remains quite popular!
The circular structure of the Students' Centre building and (right) the new eateries around it.
By Mannat Mundi t has seen generations of young boys and girls having fun and passing out and yet it hardly gives the feeling of being worn out or being old. A 'hot-spot' among students, the Panjab University Students' Centre continues to attract youngsters despite many other alternatives now being available. Popularly known as 'Stu-C' it has only grown over time and the number of students coming there daily has also continued to swell. While nearly a dozen small eating outlets around it do brisk business at all times, the Stu-C itself is a circular, three-storied building that was built in the late 1960s. With its grey facade, the building
stands tall even today. Housing one of the oldest coffee houses in the city, it is still abuzz with students, staff and other visitors to the campus. It also has a recreation room and offices of the Students' Council and the dean-students welfare (DSW). "Many might call it a casual hang-out spot, for many it might be a walk down memory lane or for many it might just be a better spot than the city's famous Geri route for girl-watching, but not one student on the PU campus would deny being there at some time or the other," former PU Students' Council chief Rajan Chadha pointed out. The Stu-C building was designed by Chandigarh's founder-
architect Le Corbusier. Over the years, a range of shops have opened up in the complex, providing an ideal place for daily treats at very competitive and studentfriendly prices. "The quality that makes Stu-C popular is the variety of meals, snacks, street food and drinks available at reasonable rates. Ranging from south Indian, Chinese and fast food to north Indian to sandwiches, burgers, shakes and much more, Stu-C has it all," Jaspreet Kaur, a student, said. This place has changed over the past years. I remember the coffee house being the heart and soul of the university. We could never find a place to sit in the cafeteria at that time," said retired army officer
Captain Rajneesh Talwar, owner of a popular gift and cards shop at Stu-C. "Earlier this place was more calm and serene. One could come and relax here. But now with the new shops around the building, the place is always crowded," Jayanth Narayanpethkar, chairperson of the School of Communication Studies, said. "Students have made this an area for holding protests and conducting violent acts, due to which it has lost its sanctity," he added. "I still visit Stu-C with my friends, having passed out five years back. It always revives beautiful memories. It has been a famous place for all," said Brinder Dhillon, an alumnus of the laws department.
Joy, the head waiter of the Indian Coffee House, has spent more than a decade there. "The tastes and preferences of the students have changed over the years. Every year there is a decrease in the number of students that come to the cafeteria. Earlier people had to wait in long queues to get a place," he said. "Usually it's the older faculty members that come here. This place is not very popular amongst the present generation," he noted with disappointment. During festivals like Lohri, Diwali and Holi, the Stu-C has its own charm with a celebratory atmosphere. Hundreds of students and visitors converge here and scores can be seen shaking a leg to the loud music played by a DJ.
20
DIASPORA
Indian cinema theme of first Seychelles India Day

Victoria (Seychelles): Indian cinema will be the theme of the first Seychelles India Day that will be celebrated in this picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago of 115 islands during Oct 4-6. To be an annual feature from now, Seychelles India Day will be celebrated on the weekend succeeding the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi Oct 2, the Indian high commission here said. This inaugural cultural fiesta is being jointly organized by the Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and the Indian high commission in collaboration with the local business community. Given India's symbiotic relationship with Seychelles through the Indian-origin people, who constitute seven percent of the island's population of less than 90,000 people, the smallest among Africa's 54 nations, the theme for the celebrations has been designated as "100 years of Indian Cinema." The high commission said that on the occasion "top performers from the Indian film industry would showcase India's music and movies to
Jacintha Saldanha death inquest delayed again

London: The inquest into last year's death of India-born nurse Jacintha Saldanha in London following a prank call from two Australian radio jockeys about the then pregnant Duchess of Cambridge has been put off for the second time. The inquest, which was scheduled to be held from Thursday in London, was initially scheduled for May this year, media reported. A new date for the hearing is yet to be announced. The Guardian quoted a spokesman for Westminster coroner's court where the inquest was first opened as saying that the hearing was put off again Monday because coroner Fiona Wilcox was "seeking more information". Saldanha, 46, a mother of two, was found unconscious in December last year in the quarters of the King Edward VII Hospital in central London where she was working as a senior nurse. She was pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital. The two radio jockeys, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, had called the King Edward VII's hospital in London Dec 4 last year posing as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles. Saldanha received the call and, not understanding their prank, transferred the phone call to a colleague who then provided them information about Prince William's then pregnant wife Kate Middleton. Three days later, Saldanha was found hanging. Labour MP Keith Vaz, who has been helping the Saldanha family from Bristol since the nurse's death, said he was surprised at a second adjournment. They (the family) were surprised to hear that the inquest has been adjourned just a few days before it was due to begin, BBC quoted Vaz as saying. We very much hope we will have a new date set soon. The coroner has granted anonymity to a duty nurse who might be the last person to speak with Saldanha on the night of hoax call. According to the media, the inquest will also hear from security staff and police.
Announcement of Seychelles India Day in Victoria, Seychelles
Seychelles". India will be celebrated through its food, music and movies. Indians have been among the earliest settlers of Seychelles, mostly from Tamil Nadu and of late from Gujarat, who came as labor, petty traders, construction workers and more recently as professionals. The Indian community comprises Seychellois of Indian origin in their first or second generations, or even older. Performers from India will include noted choreographer Terence Lewis and his troupe, leading singer Akriti Kakkar, ace percussionist Tanmoy Bose representing Indian classical
music, chef Sanjiv Kapoor and actor Kajal Aggarwal of Tamil blockbuster "Singham" fame, the high commission said. The current Seychelles-India annual trade is a little more than $50 million. Indian business presence in the island off the African coast includes those of the Bank of Baroda, Bharti Airtel and Telecommunications Consultants of India. The TATA group has supplied most of the buses for public transport in Seychelles capital Victoria. India's Polaris Software Lab is currently developing the banking services in Seychelles.
Indian-origin model in Miss Universe Ethnic Indians in Fiji New Zealand top 20 to celebrate Hindi Day
Sydney: In order to protect Indian culture and the traditions of the people of Indian origin in Fiji, Hindi Day will be celebrated next week in that Pacific Ocean island-nation. The program will be held Sep 14 at the University of Fiji campus in Lautoka, the second largest city in Fiji, the Fiji Times reported Friday. Coordinator of Hindi studies in the university Suklesh Bali said that every year around 200 students turn up at the university campus to celebrate the event. There is a lot of interest shown by these young people to learn the language and they are also spreading the word about the importance of learning Hindi, the report quoted Bali as saying. Ethnic Indians comprise 37 percent of Fiji's total population of nearly 870,000. Most of them are descendants of indentured laborers who were bought in from India between 1879 and 1916 to work in the country's sugarcane plantations.
NRI doctors under fire for attempted girl abortion in UK

London: The UK has decided not to bring charges against two Indian-origin doctors who were caught last year on video agreeing to perform an illegal sex-selective abortion. However, health ministry has stepped in demanding a review of the case of Dr Raj Mohan and Dr Prabha Sivaraman and Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has referred the case to the attorney general after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to bring charges against the two doctors. "We are clear that gender selection abortion is against the law and completely unacceptable. This is a concerning development and I have written to the attorney general to ask for urgent clarification on the grounds for this decision," Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said here yesterday. The two doctors were filmed as part of an investigation by 'The Daily Telegraph' last year agreeing to arrange terminations for women who requested them purely because they said they did not want to have a baby girl. At the Calthorpe Clinic in Edgbaston, Birmingham, Dr Mohan had been filmed agreeing to conduct the procedure even though he told the pregnant woman: "It's like female infanticide, isn't it?" Dr Sivaraman, who worked for both private clinics and NHS hospitals in Manchester, was recorded telling a woman: "I don't ask questions. If you want a termination, you want a termination." Dr Sivaraman has restrictions imposed on her practice, according to the General Medical Council's (GMC) register of doctors. The conditions, which run from March 9, 2012 to September 8, 2013, include that "she must not authorize any termination of pregnancy or carry out any termination of pregnancy work, either by consultation or surgery". Sex-selection abortion is banned in the UK.
Neekita Naidu
Wellington: A Fiji-born travel consultant and aspiring model of Indian descent has been selected in the top 20 of the Miss Universe New Zealand contest. If Neekita Naidu wins the Miss Universe New Zealand contest in the grand finale to be held in Auckland Oct 5, she will get to represent New Zealand in the Miss Universe 2013 contest to be held in Moscow later this year. "I realized at a young age that nothing else would make me experience life more intensely, the Jet newspaper quoted Naidu as saying. "There is so much to see in this
world... meeting people from all walks of life has definitely changed my perception in living and made me more of an open minded person, she said. The 24-year-old travel consultant, who says modeling is her passion, was born in Fiji's second largest city Lautoka and moved to New Zealand at the age of seven. "My ambition is to make my mark in this industry and reach the top and win this competition to represent New Zealand at the international stage of Miss Universe in Moscow, she said.
SUBCONTINENT
21
Pak to free top Taliban prisoner Baradar

Islamabad: Pakistan said it has decided "in principle" to free Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the former deputy commander of the Afghan Taliban, to facilitate the peace process in war-torn Afghanistan. Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said Baradar's release is part of efforts to "help promote the Afghan peace process". Baradar will be released at an "appropriate time", Chaudhry was quoted as saying by state-run Radio Pakistan. The announcement came a day after an all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif endorsed the government's plans to end militancy through dialogue and discussed the Afghan reconciliation process. Pakistan freed seven Afghan Taliban leaders on Saturday, taking the total number of commanders released so far to 33. Media reports said Baradar, arrested by Pakistani security agencies and the CIA in Karachi in 2010, could be released by the end of this month. President Hamid Karzai's government has been pushing Pakistan to free Baradar in the hope that he could lead talks with the Afghan High Peace Council. After Baradar's arrest, Pakistan was accused of sabotaging the Afghan peace process. Reports at the time said Baradar was a key commander who favoured peace and that he was detained as he was operating independently without consulting Pakistan's intelligence agencies. Baradar was once considered the most influential Taliban leader after Mullah Muhammad Omar. He was one of four insurgents who founded the Taliban movement and was leading the day-to-day campaign against US and NATO troops.
Mamnoon takes oath as Pakistan's president

held July 30 by an electoral college comprising members of parliament, the senate and the four provincial assemblies. He defeated Justice (Retd) Wajiuddin Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) boycotted the presidential election. Hussain bagged 432 votes against Ahmed's 77 votes. A graduate of the Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, Hussain was born in 1940 in Agra, India, and his family migrated to Pakistan in 1947 at the time of partition. He also served as the governor of Sindh from June-October 1999, till he was ousted along with the PML-N government by the then army chief General Pervez Musharraf. Former president Asif Ali Zardari completed his five-year term in office.
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain inspects guard of honor at Presidential Palace in Islamabad.
Islamabad: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Mamnoon Hussain has taken oath as Pakistan's 12th president. Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry administered the oath of office to the new president at a ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr
or presidency. Among those present at the event were Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, members of the federal cabinet, chief ministers, former presidents and prime ministers, judges, diplomats and senior officials. Hussain won the presidential polls
Nepal orders freezing of al Qaida-linked assets Sharif stresses on dialogue

Kathmandu: Nepal has ordered freezing of assets of individuals and organizations linked to al Qaida as part of its efforts to curb terror financing. Officials said bank accounts of 224 individuals and 64 entities would be frozen on the basis a United Nations Security Council resolution. They said the decision has been made under Nepal's anti-money laundering laws. Fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim's name is not on the list. "This is part of Nepal's national obligation," said foreign affairs spokesman Dipak Dhital. "It is binding." Dhital said Nepal can freeze accounts of any terrorist organizations upon the request of other countries but has not received any requests yet. A finance ministry official said it was the duty of the banks to inform the government if they have accounts of those people and entities on the list as per Nepal's law. Most of the names on the UN list are Arabs. But there are a number of Pakistanis as well.
to curb terrorism
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Musharraf seeks waiver in Bugti case

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif called for dialogue between political forces and the need to "rise above politics" to develop consensus on issues like terrorism and energy crisis facing the country, a leading Pakistani daily reported. "We have to rise above politics on some issues and develop a national consensus for the sake of this country," the Dawn quoted Sharif as saying at the All Parties Conference (APC) called at the prime minister's residence here. The meet aimed at evolving consensus on a counter-terrorism strategy as well preparing a roadmap to deal with the deteriorating law and order situation in the port city of Karachi, the country's financial hub. Stressing on dialogue as the priority option to curb terrorism, Sharif said: "If we will continue to take decisions with consensus, the people will have greater trust in democracy."The fight against terrorism in the country has caused loss of thousands of innocent lives, he said, while admitting that business community was reluctant to invest in the economy. Sharif, whom Taliban had chosen as a guarantor for peace talks with Islamabad before the May 11 general elections, said that dialogue with the Taliban was Pakistans own decision and there had been no foreign intervention. Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and chief of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI Lt.Gen. Zaheerul Islam also attended the meeting. The army chief said that civil and military leadership were on the same page over the issue of national security, putting to rest the skepticism that military and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government held different views on holding talks with militants. Prior to the conference, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan held a separate meeting with Gen. Kayani and the prime minister. He claimed that US drone strikes were at the root of terrorism in Pakistan and it was important to end such attacks. The prime minister said that he has directed the interior minister to extend cooperation to provinces to ensure their better coordination with the federal government on security issues.
Pervez Musharraf is currently under arrest at his sprawling farmhouse
Islamabad: Embattled former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf filed a petition before the anti-terrorism court in Quetta seeking exemption from personal appearance in connection with the Bugti murder case. The former president's lawyers filed a petition in the court seeking exemption from appearing in person in the case. The court has adjourned the hearing till September 30. During the last hearing on August 24, the court
had ruled that the trial against 70-year-old Musharraf in the Akbar Bugti murder case will be held in Balochistan and not in the national capital. Baloch nationalist leader Bugti was killed in a military operation in Balochistan in 2006 when Musharraf was the president of the country and army chief at the same time. Musharraf is currently under arrest at his sprawling farmhouse, just outside Islamabad, which has been turned into a sub-jail due to security concerns.
22
INTERNATIONAL
Syrian govt accepts Russian proposal

Moscow/Istanbul/Paris: Even as the Syrian government accepted a Russian proposal to put its chemical weapons under international control to "stave off" a possible US aggression, an opposition group rejected this. "We held a round of very effective talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Xinhua cited Interfax news agency as quoting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem. At a meeting with Russian Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin in Moscow Tuesday, al-Moualem said that Syria made the decision in order to "stave off an American aggression". US President Barack Obama has been seeking congressional approval for military actions against Syria for an alleged Aug 21 chemical weapons attack outside the Syrian capital, which reportedly killed at least 1,429 people, including 426 children. The Syrian government has denied the allegation. In its proposal, Russia has urged the Syrian government not only to put its chemical weapons under international control, but also to agree on their destruction and on full-fledged participation of the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). However, in Istanbul, a major India's approach on chemical weapons is that "we have consistently advocated elimination and complete destruction of chemical weapons, and pending elimination, it is viably important to ensure that all chemical stockpiles are in safe and secure custody". India has also said that it was not for a military solution to the Syria issue and consistently called for a political solution, especially through the Geneva process. He said "taking the four elements together, if there are any proposals that are moving in this direction, obviously in India we will see these as positive developments". Among others to hail the Russian initiative are Japan, China and Iran. Obama had termed the proposal as a potentially positive development. In another development, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in Paris that his country would propose a UN resolution outlining conditions to place Syrian government's chemical arms under international control and dismantle them. "Concretely, France will propose to its partners in the UN Security Council a draft of a resolution under Chapter 7 that aims at realising immediately (France's conditions)," Xinhua quoted the minister as saying.
India is among several countries that have welcomed the Russian proposal
Syrian opposition group has rejected the proposal. The opposition Syrian National Coalition said the Russian proposal does not address the issue of accountability for crimes against innocents, in reference to Damascus's alleged use of chemical weapons against its own people, Xinhua reported. "The proposal is a political strategy that aims to gain more time, which will allow the regime to cause more deaths and destruction in Syria, and poses a threat to the countries and peoples of the region," the statement said. The opposition noted that the
violation of international law, alluding to the Aug 21 attack, necessitated a serious and proportionate response. "Under no circumstances should war crimes go unpunished. Crimes against humanity cannot be absolved through political concessions, or surrendering the weapons used to commit them," the statement said. India is among several countries that have welcomed the Russian proposal. Calling it a positive development, Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said in New Delhi that
Proof of Syrian chemical use given to UN: Russia

Moscow: Russia has submitted proof of use of chemical weapons by militants in Syria to the UN Security Council, Alexei Pushkov, chairman of the international affairs committee of the Duma or the lower house of the Russian parliament, said. "Chemical weapons must be outlawed. It is not only the government of Syria, but militants in Syria as well who have chemical weapons, he said at a meeting of the Duma. According to Pushkov, the Syrian militants used the chemical weapons repeatedly. "Russia has just turned over the evidence at its disposal to the UN Security Council," he said. According to a Xinhua report, Pushkov also noted in the Duma meeting that the militants used chemical weapons near Aleppo in March this year. He said this has been acknowledged by Carla Del Ponte, a member of the UN's special independent commission investigating human rights violations in Syria.
Lahiri's novel competes for Man Booker Prize

London: Indian American author and Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri's new novel, The Lowland, has been shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker prize, organizers said. Set in the 1960s, "The Lowland", provides a view of suburban streets of Calcutta (Kolkata) through the eyes of Subhash. The first seed of the novel was planted 16 years ago, when Lahiri heard about an incident that had happened very close to her grandparents' home in Tollygunge, where two brothers, followers of the Naxalite movement, were killed in front of their parents. "I had close family members who were very politically active. Most of my family are CPI(M) [Communist Party of India (Marxist)] -- the Naxalite party was an extreme splinter off of that. There would be party meetings in my grandparents' house in Calcutta. I would witness that life in that city, and people who believed as they did. It felt both outside of me and within me, somehow," She told The Telegraph newspaper last week. "The Lowland" is Lahiri's second novel and fourth book. Raised in London, Boston and Rhode Island, Lahiri, a member of
Japan on high alert for disputed islands anniversary

Tokyo: Japan's coastguard said it was "on high alert", a year to the day since Tokyo nationalized islands that China says it has owned for centuries. Often-testy ties have soured dramatically over the last 12 months, with frequent confrontations between official ships from Asia's two largest powers. Tokyo said it had not ruled out stationing officials there, provoking an ominous warning from Beijing that Japan "must be prepared to bear the consequences of this provocation"."We are on high alert as today China as the Diaoyus. Since last September, official Chinese vessels have regularly traversed the waters China said that it had carried out 59 such "patrols" each time being warned off by Japanese ships, and the two nations' militaries have shadow-boxed in international waters and international skies. Tokyo says it nationalized the islands as a way to take the sting out of a potentially explosive attempt to buy them by nationalists, who talked of developing them for tourism.
Senkaku islands in Japan
Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri
marks the first anniversary of the nationalization of the Senkaku islands," coastguard official Yuma Miyako told AFP, referring to the Tokyo-controlled islands claimed by
US President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, had won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with her debut short story collection "Interpreter of Maladies". Her first novel "The Namesake" (2003) was turned into a popular film of the same name by filmmaker Mira Nair. Besides Lahiri, two-time Booker nominee and Irish writer Colm Toibin, English writer Jim Crace, NoViolet Bulawayo of Zimbabwe, New Zealander Eleanor Catton, and Canadian Ruth Ozeki have been included in the shortlist. The Booker Prize winner, announced on Oct 15, will receive 50,000 pounds ($78,550) and the promise of an almost certain increase in book sales.
Indians second only to Americans in Mars queue

Mumbai: India ranks number two globally after the US with regards to the number of people who have shown a keen interest in settling down in the red planet, according to final data released on Monday by Mars-One, a Netherlands-based not-for-profit organization which aims to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars in 2023. The number of applicants from the US is 47,654, its share being 24%. India follows with 20,747, its share being 10%; and China is number three with 13,176 applicants. Spokesperson of Mars-One, Aashima Dogra, told TOI that the number of Indian applicants shot up towards the end of the five-month application programme. "Hopefully, we will see an Indian in the final four flying to Mars in 2022,'' she added. The first round of the selection program has now closed for applications.
The number of applicants from the US is 47,654. India follows with 20,747
BUSINESS
23
Gold hits 3-week low as Syria India's trade deficit narrows to $10.9 bn tension eases
New Delhi: India's trade deficit narrowed to $10.9 billion in August from $12.27 billion in the previous month on the back of higher exports and lower imports, government data showed. Exports jumped by 12.97 percent to $26.13 billion in August. This is the second straight month of a healthy double-digit growth in exports. It increased by 11.64 percent to $25.83 billion in July. Imports declined by 0.68 percent to $37.05 billion in the month under review, leaving a trade deficit of $10.92 billion. Trade deficit was recorded at $12.27 billion in July. Addressing a media briefing, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said the trade deficit had narrowed on the back of a consistent decline in gold imports. Gold imports have come down... it is coming down consistently, said Sharma, adding that the government was trying to further lower the trade gap. The value of gold imports fell to $0.65 billion in August as compared to $2.2 billion in the previous month. The minister hoped that exports would register healthy growth in coming months. Exports are on a firm, positive
Exports jumped by 12.97 percent to $26.13 billion in August
Gold has fallen more than 18 per cent this year
Singapore: Gold slipped to a three-week low this week before recovering on bargain hunting, but the precious metal was losing its safe haven appeal for investors on hopes a US military strike against Syria could be averted. Syria has accepted a Russian proposal to give up chemical weapons but US President Barack Obama said it was too early to tell if the initiative would succeed, vowing to keep military forces at the ready to strike if diplomacy fails. Gold, which has fallen more than Gandhinagar: Every Indian state should have its own agricultural export policy, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said, asking the country to think big on the farm front. Widely tipped to be the BJPs prime ministerial candidate, Modi was addressing thousands of farmers from all over India at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Agricultural Summit here. The two-day event, which Modi said was the first of its kind in India, saw Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urge the younger counterpart not to confine himself to Gujarat. Why do you confine yourself to Gujarat? Badal asked in his earlier speech, drawing a roaring round of applause at the packed Mahatma Mandir auditorium. While Badal called Modi desh ka mahan neta (Great national leader), Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Ramkrishna Kusmariya described the Gujarat chief minister as Bharat ka bhavishya (Indias future). With the Lok Sabha election only months away, both Modi and
18 per cent this year, is also being hurt by expectations that the US Federal Reserve will opt to taper its monetary stimulus program after the Fed's Open Market Committee meeting on September 17-18. Spot gold hit a low of $1,356.85 an ounce, its weakest since August 22, and was steady at $1,364.01 by 0343 GMT. The Fed's three quantitative easing schemes have buoyed prices of gold and other commodities. US gold was little changed at $1,364.20 an ounce.
terrain now. I remain optimistic about exports being in positive territory, he said. Exports have registered healthy double-digit growth in the last two months after posting decline in the first quarter of the current financial year. The cumulative value of exports for the period April-August $124.42 billion, as compared to $119.77 billion registered during the corresponding period of last year, showed an year-on-year growth of 3.89 percent. The value of imports increased by 1.72 percent to $197.79 billion in the first five months of the current financial year.
The trade deficit for AprilAugust declined marginally to $73.36 billion, as compared to $74.67 billion in the corresponding period of last year. A sharp depreciation in the value of rupee has helped boost exports, while made imports costlier. The rupee lost almost 20 percent of its value this year and hit a record low of 68.85 against the US dollar last month. The rupee strengthened to twoweek high of 64.17 against a dollar on positive trade data. Lower trade deficit will help in curbing current account deficit, a major reason for the recent sharp depreciation in the value of rupee.
Think big on agriculture: Modi
Apple launches cheaper iPhone, eyes India

New Delhi: Apple has, for the first time, unveiled a cheaper smartphone, named the iPhone 5C. It has almost the same specifications as iPhone 5, which was launched as the company's flagship device last year, but in a plastic body. The iPhone 5C (with contract in the US) is cheaper than all new iPhones launched till now, and is said to be targeted at emerging markets like India and China. With the launch of iPhone 5S, Apple has discontinued the iPhone 5 that was rolled out last year and served as the flagship model till now. Apple also launched its pricey new iPhone 5S, which will take over from iPhone 5 as the latest flagship device of the company. It will be available in three colours - gold, white and black. But the wow appeal usually associated with Apple's launches clearly seemed to be missing from today's event. Unlike in the past when iPhone's newer models turned slimmer, lighter, glitzier each year, Apple seemed to have reserved most of its attention to what lies inside the body this time.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Vibrant Gujarat Global Agricultural Summit
Badal took potshots at the central government for not doing enough for the countrys farming community. Modi said he was sad that a set of suggestions he had given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh years ago to improve the state of agriculture had not been acted on. He said he had told Manmohan Singh that 500 Indian towns should be picked for solid waste manage-
ment so that fertilizers thus produced could be given to farmers in the nearby regions. He said he had decided to implement the scheme in Gujarat by selecting 50 towns. India needs to think big on the agriculture export policy, Modi said, speaking extempore in Hindi. Every state should formulate an agricultural export policy.
24
SPORTS
At 40, no stopping Leander Paes

New York: Despite being the oldest man to win the US Open men's doubles tennis title at 40, India's Leander Paes is showing no signs of slowing down. "Today Radek helped me to get to be the oldest man or the oldest tennis player to ever win a Grand Slam in the Open era. I thank him for that, and we are definitely not done. I'm going after 41 now, 42, and then 43," said Leander after winning the doubles title with his Czech partner Radek Stepanek at the Flushing Meadows. Paes and Stepanek, 34, literally outplayed Austrian Alexander Peya and Brazil's Bruno Soares 61, 6-3 in the US Open final. It was Paes' second title with Stepanek, 14th overall and eighth men's doubles. Paes, playing in his 30th Grand Slam final, had already won the US Open title twice previously with Martin Damm in 2006 and Lukas Dlouhy in 2009. Paes said immediately after the win he called up his father Vece, other's game. "Me learning from Radek's returns and his footwork on the baseline; him learning from my hands at the net or the way we read the game; the way our coaches are helping us get better; on the practice court, for me to make sure he does his singles stuff; to go out there and help him with certain drills that he likes to do; after that we go out and do specific doubles stuff to set a strategy for the team we play against," he said.
US media views Paes' feat with little fanfare

Leander Paes after winning the doubles US Open title with his Czech partner Radek Stepanek at the Flushing Meadows
also an Olympic hockey bronze medallist, who asked him and his partner Stepanek to carry on. "You know, both of us just spoke to our respective fathers just now. My dad is an Olympian. Won a medal in '72 in field hockey. First thing he told us was, 'you guys
keep getting better'. My father is the sort of guy that doesn't rest on his laurels. He keeps pushing to try to get better. Every one inch, every one percent helps," said Paes. The Indian said both he and Stepanek get to learn a lot for each
Washington: Indian tennis star Leander Paes' feat of winning a Grand Slam doubles title at the US Open at 40, largely went unheralded in the US media with most giving just factual agency reports on the match. The Wall Street Journal, however, in a longish blog report, took note of the fact that "For the 40-year-old Paes, it is his eight career Grand Slam men's doubles title and his third US Open championship".
"He's also won seven mixed doubles Slam titles and now has earned the distinction of having won a Grand Slam title in each of three decades. He also won the 1996 Olympic bronze medal in men's singles tennis." The New York Times in a blog post on the match day listed "20 facts you may not know about one of India's greatest tennis players" in recognition of Paes' "20th year as professional at Flushing Meadows".
Nadal beats Djokovic to lift his second US Open crown
Indian wrestling fraternity hail IOC decision

New Delhi: India's wrestling fraternity, including Olympic medallists Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, hailed the reinstatement of the sport in the 2020 and 2024 Olympic Games during the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board meeting in Buenos Aires. Wrestling won the first round of voting with 49 of the 95 votes cast. The joint bid of baseball/softball was second with 24 votes while squash was third with 22. Wrestling will now be seen not only in the 2020 Games hosted by Tokyo but also in the 2024 Summer Olympics. India's only double Olympic individual medallist Sushil Kumar, who won bronze in 2008 and silver in 2012, said the decision will motivate the next generation of Indian wrestlers. "It is one of the best days for Indian wrestling. The anxious wait finally has come to an end. I feel that this decision will be inspire the next generation of Indian wrestlers. Wrestling has been one of the ancient sport and it was only a logical decision to reinstate it in the Olympic movement," Sushil said. Wrestling was surprisingly taken off from the 2020 Olympics by the IOC Executive Board in a February vote as the IOC looked to refresh its sports programme. But in May, the same executive board gave wrestling a second chance as it put it on the three-sport shortlist to be considered by the entire IOC membership in Buenos Aires.
Srinivasan charge-sheeted in Jagan case, hits back

Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams with their trophies
New York: Rafael Nadal won his second US Open tennis title, beating Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the men's final, closing out the 2013 tournament inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was Nadal's 13th Grand Slam singles title, moving him into third place all-time amond men, just one shy of Pete Sampras' 14 and four behind Roger Federer's 17. The contest was the 37th professional bout between the rivals most for any head-to-head matchup in the Open Era, with Nadal entering the match holding a career winloss advantage, 21-15. The Spaniard surged to an early lead, utilising aggressive shot-making to earn an early break. Spin and speed were factors that favoured the Spaniard, as he adjusted to the
stadium winds and outslugged the Serb. Earlier, world number one Serena Williams of the United States won her fifth US Open title after beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 7-5, 6-7 (8-6), 6-1 here at the Flushing Meadows. The defending champion collected her second Grand Slam crown of the year Sunday after winning the French Open earlier. It was the 17th overall Grand Slam title for the 31-year-old, reports Xinhua. Her 17th Grand Slam title put her even with men's legend Roger Federer. "It's an honor to be even with Roger," said Williams. "He's been such a great champion throughout these years, and an unbelievable competitor and he's still playing, and he can probably win more."
Self-exiled Indian cricket board president N. Srinivasan
New Delhi/Hyderabad: The CBI charge-sheeted self-exiled Indian cricket board president Narayanaswamy Srinivasan in a corruption case involving YSR Congress party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy but he immediately hit back, saying this had nothing to do with him as a sports administrator. In the charge-sheet relating to India Cements, CBI named Srinivasan, its managing director, as the accused number three. "Don't mix the business chargesheet with my cricket," was Srinivasan's terse reply when IANS asked whether the development will in any way affect his return from self-exile to head the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and get a third year in office. The CBI last year had questioned Srinivasan twice about
the India Cements had made in Jaganmohan Reddy's firms. The CBI, in its charge-sheet stated that India Cements allegedly invested Rs.140 crore in Jagan's businesses in return for the benefits it received from the then Andhra Pradesh government that was headed by Jagan's father, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2009. The CBI filed the chargesheets in the special court, naming 25 accused and charging them under various sections of Indian Penal Code. The chargesheets relate to India Cements, Penna Cements and Bharati Cements, the three companies which allegedly made quid-pro-quo investments in Jaganmohan Reddy's business.
HEALTH
25
Medical education behind global standards, say students

New Delhi: Though India has progressed in other areas, medical education has failed to keep pace with global standards, an organization of medical students said Friday. The Medical Students Association of India (MSAI) sought participation in the decision-making process of the government in areas concerning medical education. MSAI is organizing an international seminar with participants from Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia and the US next week to deliberate on much required reforms in medical education system of the country. "This is for the first time medical students are coming together with other stakeholders to discuss what and how they should be taught so they are at par with their global peers," MSAI executive president Pratap A. Naidu said here.
Narayana Health to invest Rs 1,000 crore in 100 Indian cities

Kolkata: Aimed at servicing 100 cities belonging to the tier 1 and tier 2 categories, India's largest multispecialty hospital chain Narayana Health (NH) plans to open around 60 super-specialty hospitals across the country, an official said here last week. "We have identified 100 cities in the tier 1 and 2 classes that do not have adequate health facilities. We will invest Rs.1,000 crore and plan to build 60 to 70 hospitals in a span of five years," said Narayana Health vice chairman, MD and group CEO A. Raghuvanshi.
Dr Devi Shetty, famous heart surgeon and founder of Narayana Health
E-cigarettes may be as effective as patch to help smokers quit

Berlin: Taking a drag from an e-cigarette may be just as safe and effective as slapping on a nicotine patch for smokers struggling to quit, according to the first physician-run trial to compare the two products. About one in 20 people who used either patches or e-cigarettes managed to quit completely six months after the test started, according to research published last week today in The Lancet. Meanwhile, users of electronic cigarettes -- battery-powered devices that deliver vaporized nicotine -- were more likely to have cut their use of the real thing in half even if they didnt quit entirely. The 657-person trial wasnt big enough to draw definite conclusions about whether e-cigarettes are better than nicotine patches, researchers said. Still, the results should be a signal to the regulators in the U.S. and Europe now weighing restrictions on e-cigarettes, Peter Hajek, a professor of clinical psychology at the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, said. Health professionals will now hopefully feel easier about recommending e-cigarettes to smokers, or at least condoning their use, Hajek added. If European and U.S. regulators treat e-cigarettes as medical devices, yet leave cigarettes on general sale, tobacco makers will retain their market monopoly, and we will never learn whether e-cigarettes would replace traditional cigarettes if allowed to continue evolving and competing with smoked tobacco on even terms, he wrote. E-cigarettes have taken Europe and the U.S. by storm. In France, there are more than 1 million regular users, according to a governmentcommissioned report published in May. Sales worldwide will probably approach $2 billion by the end of this year and top $10 billion by 2017, according to a forecast by Wells Fargo & Co. That success has brought scrutiny. The French government said it planned to ban e-cigarettes from
"Most hospitals in metros are citycentric as they cater to mostly people in the metropolis. Distance becomes a major factor for people living in smaller cities and villages. "Each of them will be low cost centers and cost will be significantly low in comparison to metros," said Devi Shetty, founder of Narayana Health. As per the expansion plans, NH will construct six to seven hospitals per year in cities like Lucknow, Guwahati, Siliguiri etc. Facilities like cardiology, cardiac surgery, neurology, neurosurgery, orthopedics, gastroenterology, urol-
ogy and nephrology would be provided."West Bengal will be given priority. Our target is that every hospital should be a heart and cancer center," said Shetty. NH, which recently announced its plans to open a 300-bed superspecialty hospital in Lucknow, is commissioning a hospital in Guwahati. "Construction will begin this year. Initially there will be 200 beds but later on, we will add more beds to make it a 350-bed hospital. Another hospital will come up in (northern West Bengal's) Siliguri that will be a 150-bed centre," said Shetty.
The percentage of US high school students who reported ever using an e-cigarette rose to 10 percent in 2012 from 4.7 percent a year earlier. That was worrying, because they may start using real cigarettes later.
public places. The U.K. has moved to treat them as medicines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration may announce potential restrictions as soon as next month. French magazine 60 Million Consumers reported in its September edition that it found formaldehyde and other chemicals, along with traces of heavy metals, when it tested a range of the devices. Certain brands contained dangerous substances in greater quantities than cigarettes, and the amount of nicotine in an e-cigarette is sometimes far more than whats listed on the label, according to the magazine. The percentage of U.S. high school students who reported ever using an e-cigarette rose to 10 percent in 2012 from 4.7 percent a year earlier, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Youth Tobacco Survey released this month. CDC Director Tom Frieden called the trend deeply troubling, saying students might start smoking real cigarettes as well. For the team of New Zealandbased researchers that conducted the latest study, the point was not to figure out whether e-cigarettes might lead new users to smoke, but rather how well the devices could help entrenched smokers to quit. The trial was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
26
LIFESTYLE
Changing times: Young shun traditional attire in Kerala Trendy abayas pushing burqas out of fashion
Thiruvananthapuram/ Kochi: Ascribe it to changing times and the comfort factor but the young and even the not so young in Kerala are shunning traditional attire like saris and mundus, even on occasions like the ongoing Onam festival. "We have been asked to come in the traditional dress (boys in mundus and girls in the traditional Kerala saree). When the news was conveyed to us, it was greeted with cries of 'Oh, no'," a student of an engineering college here said. Fashion spotter Mini Nair said this response was understandable because in today's modern world where time is a luxury, very few prefer to wear traditional outfits even on special occasions. "What I have observed is that let alone teenagers, even youth and the middle-aged prefer not to wear traditional attire. Today, more and more women, and also in smaller towns, prefer churidars to saris. This is also the trend with men," says Nair. Such is the extent of the shift that the previous Left dispensation issued a government order asking male Karachi: The traditional burqa is pass. Compared with the abaya, the full-length embroidered dress originally from the Arab Gulf states, the burqa is rarely worn these days. I think there must be one that belonged to my dadijan in that big dusty trunk lying at the back of our garage, says Maria Sabahuddin. The girl herself wore emerald green hijab kept in place on the head with a pretty brooch over a jetback abaya with sequins at the front opening and sleeve cuffs. Shabana Usman, who runs an abaya shop in the basement of the Gold Mark shopping center, on main Korangi Road, says that most of the cloaks and abayas in her shop have been imported from Dubai. Therefore they are expensive. The simpler ones with scant embroidery or sequins cost Rs3,000, while the fancy ones cost Rs5,000 and over, she says. Her shop is just a mini branch. Our main shop is in Dubai, she adds. Ms Usman counts some of the most popular abaya styles on her fingertips. There is the farasha style, the
Preference for traditional sarees and mundus has decreased
Modest burqas are being edged out by stylish abayas
staffers to turn up in a mundu at least once a week. "This was done to give an impetus to the dying handloom industry in the state. Initially the response was poor but with even senior bureaucrats leading from the front, the habit of wearing a mundu has increased in government offices," said a top bureaucrat. Kochi homemaker Jincy Sebastian who, along with two friends, runs a small textile trading business, said fewer women came asking for sarees over the past few years. "We source material from Bangalore and Chennai. When we started this business about six years ago, we had considerable sales of saris, but today, even middle-
aged women who once used to ask for saris do not want them and have instead turned to churidars," says Sebastian . Manju Menon, who tailors fashion garments, says this is quite understandable and one reason is that now, more and more women have started to drive two-wheelers and cars and find it more convenient to wear a churidar. "Also, I have noticed that many of my clients who wear saris have been asking to increase the length of the blouse. They say preying eyes are always looking to catch a glimpse of a woman's body when a saree is worn. This is another reason why more and more women are shunning saris," Menon added.
Sudanese style, she says. The material used in abayas should have a nice fall such as jersey, georgette, etc. The most popular color for abayas is the very same for the old-style burqas black. But we also sell off-white, beige, fawn color, blue and grey abayas, says Mohammad Amir, who besides having an outlet in the Gold Mark shopping center, has the main shop in Dubai. Its an Arab tradition, so we have links in the UAE, the shopkeeper points out. The cheapest and simplest of abayas at Mr Amirs shop are in the range of Rs1,000 to 1,500. But the expensive ones can start at Rs10,000 and go up to Rs50,000, he says.
The most expensive ones are actually encrusted with zircon stones. Abaya tailors are also different from your regular shalwar-kameez suit tailors. Their cuts are very different. When asked about the difference between an abaya and a burqa, the tailor explains: The burqa had a proper head covering with a veil but you can wear a scarf of your choice over an abaya for the hijab. Girls use pretty and colorful scarves. Its more of a fashion statement now than a way of dressing modestly. So the trend is changing. Also the burqa used to be a loose garment, whereas the abaya is fitted to the body shape. We are asked to put in more pleats by the ladies.
SEWA INTERNATIONAL PRESENTS
ON
BY RENOWNED LASERIST MANICK SORCAR
When: Saturday, October 5, 2013 Time: 3:30 PM Where: Hindu Temple Auditorium 143-09 Holly Avenue Flushing, NY 11355
SEWA International in cooperation with Association of Indians in America, Gujarati Samaj of New York, Indian Association of Long Island, Indian American Intellectuals Forum, The American India Public Affairs Committee,Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,RAJPUT ASSO. OF NORTH AMERICA,RANA, Shanti Fund,HSS and several other organizations presents a full-length laser show with state-of-the-art lighting, on the 150th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Patrons:
Dr. Urmilesh and Yashpal Arya Indian Association of Long Island Shri Kamlesh Mehta Shri Animesh Goenka Shri Jerry Kohli Dr Azad Anand Shri Surendra Rametra Dr. Navin Mehta Shri Kishore Kuncham Dr Narinder Kukar Shri Bobby Kumar Shri Nagendra Gupta Shri Sushil Goyal Shri Kamal Gupta Dr C B Singh Dr Patil Dr Kamal Jaffar Dr Numan Taib Shri Kishore Malik Shri Sunil Modi Shri Arish Sahani Shri Harshad (Paka Bhai) Patel Shri Hirubhai Patel Shir Virendra Patel Shri Harish Thakkar
Sewa Internaional is a 501 (3) nonprofit, charitable organization. All donations are tax-deductible (Tax Id # 20-0638718) Sewa serves humanity regardless of race, religion, color, gender or nationality.
For further information please call:

Jagdish Sewhani Kishore Kuncham (917) 834-8842 (516) 849 5330 Animesh Goenka Dr Sunil Mehra (516) 647 9950 (516) 503 1467 Narain Kataria (718) 478-5735 Kishore Malik (516) 795-8165 Suresh Jani (201) 432-2163 Dr Yashpal Arya (516) 997 7220 Harshad(Pakabhai) (917) 697 8820 Sri Harsha (646) 715 9628
SELF HELP
27
Top tech tips for a successful school year Tips for finding happiness in your daily life
he back to school season All-in-One printer, students can can be a hectic time for save time creating lab-quality students. With dozens of photos and laser sharp documents assignments, tests and projects, by printing from their smartits easy for some things to get phones, tablets and Internet-conlost in the chaos. nected PCs. It may start with one loose Connect in More Places: No book or crumpled paper thrown matter if a student is in grade into a locker or backpack, but it An all-in-one portable school, high school or college, can quickly balloon into a disas- desktop PC can help having the right technology can ter area without proper mainte- students streamline help keep everything straight. An school work. nance. all-in-one desktop PC, such as the Dont let messes and disorganization stand in HP ENVY Rove20 All-in-One, will help the way of success in the classroom. New tech- streamline everything from research to art projnologies and old organization tricks can help ects to book reports and study aids. With a veryou stay neat and organized during the back to satile design and built-in battery, students can school season: easily move it from room to room. Stay on Task: It is always smart for students For college students, a device like the HP to maintain a separate section in a notebook or Split x2 is great for getting things done. It tranbinder for every class. If there are several parts sitions effortlessly from a notebook to a tablet to one class, keep a section in the binder for so students can take notes in class and then go each part of that class. Avoid using a different back to the dorm to web chat with their famibinder for each class as often it is unnecessary lies. More information on technology that can and will cause clutter. help students succeed is available at Get Desks in Shape: At home and at school, www.HP.com. desks are a place for learning, concentration E-Books: Consider saving space in your and personalization for students. A lot can be locker, book bag or dorm room by opting for elearned about a students personality by look- textbooks. Looking up unfamiliar words, taking at items on top of the desk or inside the ing notes, searching for passages and highlightdesk drawers. ing sections for later review is quick and easy Students can keep their desks organized and on an e-reader. show off their personal style by using a variety The school year doesnt have to be filled of web-connected printing solutions, gadgets with messes and clutter. There are always new with touch technology and detachable hybrid ways to be productive, stay organized, and live PCs, such as those from HP. connected. With just some focus, determination For example, with the HP ENVY 4500 e- and the right tech tools, organization can easily
re you living a happy life? Most of us face daily routines filled with the stresses of jobs and busy family schedules. And bad news seemingly is all around us, in an increasingly violent world filled with strife and scandal. Yet there are many small changes that can help you and your family live happier, productive lives and improve your community, say experts. All over the world, people are finding that there really is a way to live happily. They trust life and believe things will turn out well and, if not, they cope. Life tends to prove us right, which is why a positive attitude is so important, says J. R. Lankford, author of The Covert Messiah, which poses interesting questions regarding society, religion and science, as part of a fast-paced mystery thriller series. Even at the worst of times, people are usually wonderful. We saw teachers in the Newtown, Connecticut shooting give their lives to protect their young pupils. We saw people at the Boston Marathon run toward the danger when the bombs went off, she adds. It is this observation about the profound and positive aspect of humanity that drives Lankfords latest novel in her series, which is full of selfless characters willing to risk injury or death for a greater cause. Her novel addresses what would happen if Jesus were cloned and interacted with the modern world today. In a deeply flawed world, Lankford offers some timeless advice for people looking to
find serenity and happiness in their daily routines: Let the things of tomorrow worry about themselves. Yes, keep up with important events, but a steady diet of bad news isnt good for you. Teach your children that they have the power to make the world a better one and it starts with belief in oneself. Take time each day to focus on the good in the present moment rather than being lost in worrisome and often pointless thought. Meditating even 15 minutes a day can change your life. If your children are involved in their own strife with fellow classmates and friends, help them identify common ground. Teach them to forgive and not retaliate. Set a good example by choosing to notice the good and being happy yourself. Volunteer. Demonstrate that an average person can touch the lives of others.
28
HUMOR
Funny Bone by Nury Vittachi
Yes, I am a qualified pilot, kinda, he lied

oys and girls, remember to ALWAYS tell the truth, unless it is a little white lie, such as "Yes, of course I know how to fly a 747." Pretending to be a pilot is ok. How come? Because flying planes is a relatively easy skill, unlike, say, teaching a male to (a) replace a toilet roll, (b) remember to avoid saying stupid things, (c) change a diaper, etc., all of which are skills few men can master without enduring a grueling multi-year training course called Being Married. Now before pilots burn down my office, the advice above comes from one of your colleagues. He wrote to comment on the recent news report about a pair of Air India pilots who parked flight attendants in the aircraft cockpit and went off for a 40-minute nap. One of the young women accidentally switched off the auto-pilot, so had to go to wake up a pilot for help. I wonder how the conversation went? "Erm, I pressed a few buttons, so now we are in a nosedive towards a primary school. Did I do something bad?" "Don't worry, sweetheart," he replies, patting her leg.
The reader, who signed himself Pontius Pilot, said that while learning to fly an aircraft is extremely difficult, operating a modern passenger jet is not. "They fly themselves. Most impressive is a button called Auto-Land that always gives you a perfect landing," he said. "The truth is pilots of 747s often let Auto-Land handle the landing even when they are in the cockpit." I once crashed a 747. I was having a go on a multi-million dollar Cathay Pacific 747 training simulator when I landed sideways on a shopping mall. "I meant to do that," I lied, but the instructor didn't believe me. The evil, conniving @#$% never told me that real pilots just pressed Auto-Land and went back to the Readers' Digest funnies. Pontius' revelation got me thinking of an associate who once turned up at an airport in Africa for a flight that was crucial to him. Ground staff apologetically said the pilot had not turned up for work that morning. "Can you fly a plane," they asked. "No, of course not," my friend replied, his eyebrows hitting the ceiling.
But now I realize he should have said "Sure," and then got into the cockpit and Googled "How do you switch on Auto-Takeoff in a plane?" There are surely apps to handle the whole shebang these days. But let's be sensible. You should never, never pretend to be a trained pilot unless the journey is a matter of life and death, such as when you need to get home in time for your wife's birthday or Manchester United are on TV. Now if you are one of those people who claim to never to tell lies, I have news for you. There is a new number one Most Common Lie in the world. I have watched a zillion people download things from the internet. Not one of them has ever read the terms and conditions. Not one of them has paused for a nanosecond before clicking the box that says "I have read the terms and conditions." We're all guilty. I bet even the Pope clicks straight through. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm in need of a holiday. Yes, I'm heading for the airport. Come with me if you like. If the pilot's not there, I'll see what I can do.
Laughter is the Best Medicine
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
ASTROLOGY
29
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma

Stars Foretell: September 14-20, 2013
Aries: This week you should cut down your expenses to ease financial constraints. Moneymaking ventures will not be as good as they appear. You are likely to be bothered with too much work and too many family obligations and it will cause mental stress. Try to relax as much as possible and go after recreation and entertainment. Travelling will promote new romance and additional knowledge. Taurus: This is a good week for making important decisions. You should work towards completing your projects and remember to take into confidence all those who are involved with you. You will be able to get along well with your colleagues. The best way to keep yourself happy and relaxed will be to get involved in new hobbies. Opportunities for new and exciting relationship will be yours if you go out and socialize. Be very careful about what you say in public. Gemini: This week financially you will be on a better footing. Investments in stock may not bring in desired results, but real estate matters look promising and can bring you handsome gains. Friends will seek your support and someone will even share a secret with you, make sure you keep it to yourself. Efficiency will be more important than creativity and try not to let any underlying discord ruin your mental peace. Travel will be important for strengthening ties. Cancer: Friends and near ones will provide financial support. However, you may be a bit reluctant and hesitant to accept it. This is the period of compensation and rewards and you will be appreciated for the good deeds you have done in the past. If you go out shopping, you will find it extremely difficult to control yourself from overspending. Driving too fast and getting involved in gossip will put you into trouble with elders in the family. Leo: Sudden speculative gains during this week may not be ruled out. Expenditures on the renovation or beautification of the house or on the other domestic requirements are likely to rise. This is a good period to work on creative hobbies and to purchase art items that will grow in value. Professionally your hard work will pay off, and you will be appreciated for your efforts, but try to keep your professional life completely separate from your personal one. Virgo: Although it will be a hectic and tiring week yet you will be extremely pleased with your achievements. Fresh business deals will bring in good financial gains. Emotionally things might be disturbing and someone close to your heart will disappoint you immensely, but you should follow your conscience and behave exactly the way you normally do. Your friends and coworkers will be grateful to you for the help that you extend to them. You will be generous and enjoy the pleasure of giving. Libra: Take time off to have fun with family members. You need to remember that life is short and you should enjoy each and every moment of it. You will make some new friends if you go out and socialize. You will have good opportunities to make major changes that will swing you in a position of leadership. Your unique and original ideas will be appreciated. Financial gains are certain, but speculation should be completely avoided. Scorpio: This week you will buy luxurious and exorbitantly expensive items for the spouse or beloved to attract more love and affection. Your income will increase, but so will your expenses. Investments put in the past will fetch returns. Past differences with colleagues if any will get sorted out. By doing what makes you happy, you will attract the right crowd. Everything that happens around you will bring you lot of fun. Opportunity for a new romance seems likely for those unattached. Sagittarius: This is a mixed period of gains and losses. On one side financially things will improve and on the other side some unexpected development on the work front may disturb your mental peace. Sudden romantic encounter will set your head spinning, but you should make sure that this doesnt distract you from your responsibilities. You will be in the mood to overspend, however if you dont control yourself you could have a severe financial constraint in the coming days. Capricorn: Funds may flow in through various sources to ease out your financial constraints. You may spend lavishly on your friends as well as your family members. Concentrate on your pending work. Someone with big plans and ideas will capture your attention but you should not make any financial commitments until you are sure you can keep to it. Business dealing with relatives or friends will definitely not be in your interest. You will enjoy the time you spend with children. Aquarius: This week dont force your opinion on others. Lectures and meeting that you attend will help you in building important professional contacts. Money gains from unexpected sources likely to boost up your spirits. Ignoring your spouse will only bring tensed moments at home. Avoid any arguments or confrontation. Travel and communication will be important but will not go as smoothly as expected. Focus your attention on domestic issues and look after the needs of others. Pisces: This week you should use your extra energy to finish pending jobs. Prevailing projects and plans will carry on in a smooth pace. Children may cause some dissatisfaction as they get distracted from their responsibilities. Be careful of your belongings while travelling. Foreign transactions expected to yield good returns. It would be better to control over your expenses and plan out the budget according to your sources and means. Spiritual gains for some will bring solace and mental peace.
Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874 Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899 psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week

14th September, 2013 uled planet:Mercury Ruled by no: 5 Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mercury makes you realistic, 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. However, you need to go for regular fitness programs or practice yoga and meditation for better results. Do not avoid your regular medication. Look out the health of your family members as they may fall ill frequently. Finance this year: Your new business alliances and partnerships will help you earn financial stability this year. You will receive all the pending payments and money you gave away as loans in the past. You should go for investing in real estates and share market. Career this year: Being friendly and quick in decision making, you will create many admirers for yourself in your professional circuit. Your juniors may seek your advice in critical times to deliver efficient work. It is advisable for you not to get involved in office politics. You should handle official matters diplomatically. 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: October, February, April and August 15th September, 2013 Ruled planet:Venus Ruled by no:6 Traits in you :Your ruling planet Venus makes optimistic, ambitious, caring, aspiring, and determined. You are very social and love to make new friends and get into new relationships. You are a huge follower of intelligence and education. Health this year: You need to stop your bad habits such as smoking and consuming alcohol to remain healthy. You should take expert advice from a doctor to avoid health related issues. You should take your medicines at time to avoid further complicacy in your health. Take care of the health of your spouse and parents as well. Finance this year: far as your financial status is considered, you will enjoy a healthy run this year. You may redirect yourself to more profitable business. You may plan for few business trips this year for your growth. You should not get involved in any kind of partnerships as it may hamper your business. Career this year: You will be establishing yourself as a very efficient and important resource in your organization this year. Your performance will influence your peers, seniors and higher management. It is the best time to look out for a new job as it will help you grow both professionally and financially. Romance this year: You will share a blissful romantic relationship 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: December, February, May and June 16th September, 2013 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 confident, decisive, generous, humorous, honest, modest and optimistic. 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: Your overall health would remain fine this year. Some of the aged members in your family may fall sick frequently to add your woes. You need to take care of your family members by providing them better medical attention. Finance this year: This year may bring you huge financial benefits. You will enjoy the returns of your investments. If you want to gain financial profits, you have to work hard. You may invest in various profitable businesses. However, you should not start new partnerships or trust new friends. Career this year: Professionally you will enjoy a smooth life. You may get recognition in your professional circuit as a result 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 professionally. Romance this year: For your marital relationship, this year will be pretty fruitful for you. If you are still single, you may get into a romantic alliance towards the end of the year. If you are already in a relationship, you may plan to convert your relationship into marriage. Lucky month: September, December, March and June 17th September, 2013 Ruled planet: Saturn Ruled by no: 8 Traits in you: Your ruling planet the Saturn makes you highly dynamic, hardworking, courageous, trustworthy, reliable, courteous and friendly. You are very much inclined to music and literature. You should work on your impatience. You need to enhance your constructive ideas as well. Health this year: Though you would not face any major health related issues, you should take extra care of your health. Do not take unwanted risk of putting your health in stake. Go for regular medical checkups. 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: Your confidence will convert you into a winner. You will be capable enough to overcome any challenge you need to face. The chances of your promotion and transfer are high due to the organizational change. Romance this year: You may try and convert your long time romantic relationship to a married one. You will be enjoying a great life with your spouse with lots of understanding, love, and care. You need not get into any kind of argument with your beloved this year. Lucky month: December, January, May and August 18th September, 2013 Ruled planet: Mars Ruled by no: 9 Traits in you: Being governed by the planet Mars, you are adventurous, sensitive, courageous, emotional, hard working, charismatic and punctual. You are full of enthusiasm and ambitions. You should try and avoid your shyness and stubbornness. Health this year: Though you would not face any major health related issues, you should take extra care of your health. Do not take unwanted risk of putting your health in stake. Go for regular medical checkups. Finance this year: You may get your pending works done, which will yield enough financial benefits for you. You should invest in share market or real estate to get better benefits. You need not borrow or lend money as it may create disturbances in your personal life. Career this year: Being an efficient professional, you are highly respected in your professional circuit. Your ordinates and seniors may take advice from you. You may get your long expected promotion this year. Salary hike is also likely to happen. 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: September, December, March and July 19th September, 2013 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, intellectual, optimistic, and enthusiastic. You are gifted with an artistic 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: As far as your health is concerned this year, you may frequently fall sick. You need to undergo regular medical checkups and take your prescribed medicines on time. Join a gym and try practicing meditation to retain your fitness. Finance this year: You will be able to earn more money. However, you may end up spending a lot of money on luxury and comfort. You may go for new business or investments this year as the movement of planets ensures you good monetary benefits. Career this year: You are quite capable of handling critical issues in your professional life. You will succeed in your attempts of performing well in your work. You will get appreciations from your peers, seniors, and the higher management. You should help others to make your presence felt. Romance this year: You may try and convert your long time romantic relationship to a married one. You will be enjoying a great life with your spouse with lots of understanding, love, and care. You need not get into any kind of argument with your beloved this year. Lucky month: January, April, May and August 20th September, 2013 Ruled planet:Moon Ruled by no: 2 Traits in you: As you are influenced by the Moon, you are confident, emotional, imaginative, simple, creative, courteous, and warm hearted. You can easily make friends because of your nature so you enjoy enormous respect amongst your friends. You should control your mood swings and you should not be lazy. Health this year: Your health would remain very good this year. However, you need to go for regular yoga exercises. You should not ignore your healthy diet plan to remain in shape. Go for regular medical checkups to avoid any hiccups further. Finance this year: You will be in ample financial gains this year. Your new business ventures will be successful this year. You should go for new partnerships and businesses as your star favors your luck this year. You may go for investments in any sector. Do not spend unnecessarily in luxury and comfort. Career this year: Being a hardworking professional, you may create wonders for your organization. You need to learn more and look for better options. You may not get your expected promotion or salary hike in spite of your hard work and efficiency. Romance this year: You will be enjoying a better relationship with your partner or beloved. You will get the required emotional support from your partner whenever you seek. Lucky month: October, December, April and May
30
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
Awaken to the souls innate beauty

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
n many places around the world parents read to their children a famous fairy tale, the story of Sleeping Beauty. In this story a princess is cast under a spell and sleeps for a hundred years. Only the kiss of a true prince can awaken her. While the story is entertaining, few parents realize that it is also the story of our own lives. In fact, it serves as an allegory for the human condition. Sleeping Beauty slept for a hundred years, but we have been sleeping for eons. She was sleeping at the physical level, but we are sleeping at the level of the soul. What does it mean to be asleep spiritually? We think that because we are aware of this physical world that we are awake, but even scientists and doctors are coming to recognize that there is more to this creation than our planet earth and the planets and stars we can see through the telescope. They are discovering that there are realms which our soul can enter that are teeming with life and experiences of which we can never even dream. There are regions beyond this physical world into which we can enter. As long as we remain unaware of them, we are asleep. Our soul is awakened when it experiences these inner realms. These luminous worlds of light and love make this world pale in see with their physical eyes. In the last twenty years with the scientifically documented cases of near-death experiences (NDEs), repeated accounts of worlds beyond have been reported by doctors, scientists, and lay persons of sound mind and intellect which bear out the findings of many of the world religions which speak of higher realms. We tend to limit our thinking and believe we can only enter higher realms after death, but been meditation, contemplation, and prayercall it by whatever name you like. Meditation is the process by which we withdraw our attention from our body and from the world outside and concentrate it at a point between and behind the two eyebrows, called the third or single eye. By focusing our attention there, we come in contact with a current of Light and Sound which will lead us from our physical conattention, which is presently scattered throughout our body and goes out of our body into this world through the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. We have to withdraw our attention from the world outside and collect it at the seat of the soul, located between and behind the eyebrows. This power of God which flows out from God also returns to Him. When the soul is withdrawn to the third eye, it can then travel on the Light and Sound through the higher planes back to its Source in the purely spiritual realm. The process by which the soul is brought into contact with the current of Light and Sound reverberating within us is called meditation. We are so caught up in this world that we are asleep at the level of the soul, but this world is but a shadowy illusion of what lies beyond. The light of this world is but a pale reflection of the luminous light of the worlds within. What we believe to be consciousness in this world is but a sleeping state compared to the super-consciousness, or rather, the real consciousness, we experience in the spiritual realms. By learning the art of meditation on the inner Light and Sound, we, too, like Sleeping Beauty, can be awakened from our slumber and experience joy and happiness for all time to come.
By learning the art of meditation on the inner Light and Sound, we, too, like Sleeping Beauty, can be awakened from our slumber and experience joy and happiness for all time to come.
comparison. Those who experience them speak of a love and bliss far beyond any of this world. Their consciousness is expanded and increased. They are filled with love and compassion, and they realize the true values of life. It is strange that our scientific upbringing, which should have expanded our horizons, has limited them. Science encourages exploration and discovery, yet science has limited the people of the modern day world into thinking that they can only believe what they since these spiritual regions are going on simultaneously, we may wonder why we cant visit these places now. We need to awaken to the spiritual worlds within us, to the vast expanse of Gods creation. How to awaken? Fortunately, this experience is not limited to those who have near-death experiences. We do not have to undergo a physical trauma in order to leave the body. Through the ages, others have reported entering into the regions of light through easier methods. Those methods have sciousness into higher consciousness, into the Beyond. If we can realize ourselves as soul by focusing our attention at a point in the body known as the seat of the soul, it will come in contact with the stream of Light and Sound. This Light and Sound is the creative vibration which emanated from God and which brought all creation into being. The reason we are not aware of the Light and Sound within is due to our attention. The outer expression of the soul is known as the
Focus on God during the three stages of life

By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj
illions of people are born into this world. They pass through the same cycle of living a number of years in childhood, followed by the stage of youth, and ending in a final period of maturity before passing from this life. Regarding these three stages of life, there is a story about an angel who, sitting with God, looked from heaven to the world below. He was observing how the lives of human beings are filled with much suffering. The angel thought, Human beings get sick, have accidents, lose their possessions, love others, lose those relationships, and then die. The angel turned to God and asked, If life is so filled with sorrow, why do people want to return again and again to this world instead of escaping the cycle of births and deaths? God replied, Go down to earth and visit a home with a child, the childs father, and the childs grandfather. Listen to their conversation and then return and tell me what you have learned. The angel scanned the planet and found a park where a child, father, and grandfather sat on a bench talking to each other. The angel drew close and listened to their conversation. I cant wait to grow up, the child told the father and grandfather. I wish I could be your age, Dad. You are so lucky. If I were your age, I would be able to play as long as I
wanted, eat when I wanted, and stay up as late as I wanted. Nobody would tell me what to do! I could drive a car and make lots of money instead of depending on my small allowance. You are so lucky, Dad. I cant wait until I become grown up like you. Then, the angel heard the childs father say, No, son. I am not the lucky one. Grandpa is the lucky one. He doesnt have to listen to the alarm going off each morning rousing him from a nice sleep to get ready for work. Grandpa is retired and can get up when he wants to. He doesnt have to rush through traffic or spend an entire day working with difficult people. He doesnt have to save up for his childrens college expenses, and he gets more than two weeks of vacation each year. Since Grandpa has retired, each day is a vacation for him! The angel then heard the grandfather tell his son and grandson, No, the boy is the lucky one. It is true that Im retired and can spend the day anyway I want, but my body doesnt work properly anymore. I have aches and pains, and I spend most of my free time going to doctors for one medical test after another. When the doctor gets the results, he sends me to specialists for more tests. Then, I have to use up my retirement money to pay medical bills and purchase medication. Because the cost of living has gone up, the money I thought I could live on no longer stretches that far, so I need to supplement my
income. However, few people want to hire me because I am so old. I would give anything to have the energy, stamina, and health of my grandson! The angel noted everything that the child, father and grandfather said and returned to give God the report about what transpired. The angel said, I heard the conversation of three generations: The child isnt happy and wants to be his fathers age; the father is unhappy and wants to be the grandfathers age; and the grandfather wants to be a child again. God then replied, Now you understand that when people are in the third stage of life and leaving this world, their desire to be children brings them again into this world. They get their wish! This anecdote illustrates how our desires bring us again and again into this world. Each moment of life there are numerous choices about how to spend our time. We can either make the best use of the moment, or we can waste it dreaming about becoming something and someone else. This is true whether we are children, young adults or mature adults. How can we find God? Scriptures of all the major religions tell us that God is within us and can be found through inversion. God is an ocean of All-consciousness that always existed and always will exist. This Ocean of Consciousness was once alone but decided to become many from One. This thought of bringing forth creation resulted in the mani-
festation of a vibration with two aspects: Light and Sound. This radiant current brought into being all regions of creation including the physical universe, the stars, sun, and moon, this Earth, human beings and all life forms on the face of this planet. This Light and Sound or God-into-expression Power is also called by different Names in different religions such as Naam, Shabd, Jyoti and Sruti, Akash Bani, Kalma, Bang-iAasmaani, Saut-e-Sarmadi, the Holy Word, or the Voice of Silence. This Light and Sound current is also reverberating within us. It can be found at a point in our body known as the third or single eye, located between and behind the two eyebrows. If we withdraw our attention from its focus on the outer world, our body, and our mind, and absorb it at this point or single eye, we will contact the inner Light and Sound. Then, we follow the Light and Sound from awareness of our physical body into the higher spiritual realms until we return to God. The purpose of meditation is to help us realize our soul and realize God. By doing so, we discover that we are more than just the body, that we are soul and exist beyond the body. If we spend the three stages of our life in meditation and remembering God, we cannot go wrong. God will shower us with riches far greater than we can ever dream of. Let us make sure that God is a part of each of the three stages of our life.

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