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Vol.10 No. 39 February 3-9, 2018 80 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info

The country’s
The Brahmos
Missile System
Republic Day Celebrations
on display
growing stature during
was on display Republic Day
as 10 ASEAN Parade in
New Delhi.
leaders attend (Photos: IANS)
the R-Day
parade in New
Delhi. Patriotic
Trump touts fervor spread
from state to
safe, strong & state even as the
Indian missions
proud America abroad and the
diaspora held
In good news for Indians,
celebrations on
the President pitched for
merit-based system in his January 26.

India's Military Might,

maiden State of the Union
address on January 30.
Washington: A bullish President
Donald Trump has proclaimed a "new

Cultural Prowess on Show

American moment" as he delivered his
maiden State of the Union speech to
Congress on Tuesday and repeatedly
got standing ovation mainly from the
Republican side of the aisle. The three
main themes of his prime time address
focused on creating a safe, strong and
proud America.
He took due credit for the booming
economy and falling unemployment in
the country.
He also said he was "extending an
open hand" to Democrats to work
together with him. But that is doubtful
considering the minefield of immigra‑
tion. Trump outlined what he called
the four pillars of his "immigration
reform" which he has submitted to
Congress:
First pillar: "Path to citizenship to
1.8 million illegal immigrants brought
to the US by their parents."
Second pillar: "A great wall on the
southern side of the country under a
plan to secure the country's borders."
Third pillar: "An end to the system of
visa lottery."
Fourth pillar: "Protect the nuclear
family by ending chain migration."
In what will come as a mix of 'good
Continued on page 6
New Delhi: India celebrated
its 69th Republic Day on
January 26 as the Rajpath, the
capital's main promenade,
came alive with marchpasts
and colorful tableaux to show‑
case the country's military
REPUBLIC DAY
SPECIAL PAGES
3‑19.
might, cultural legacy and its
initiatives, with 10 ASEAN
leaders as chief guests watch‑
ing the proceedings.
President Ram Nath Kovind
took his first Republic Day
Continued on page 6
PM Narendra Modi greets
President Ram Nath Kovind as
they get on stage ahead of the
69th Republic Day celebrations
on Rajpath in New Delhi.
New York State Lt.
Governor Kathy Hochul
lights the ceremonial lamp
joined by dignitaries
including Ambassador
Syed Akbaruddin and
Consul General Sandeep
Chakravorty at the
Republic Day reception at
the United Nations hosted
by Permanent Mission of
India to the UN on Jan 26.

NATIONAL AWARDS 14 INDIA DEVELOPMENT 18 US AFFAIRS 26 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 38 excellence in journalism

TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018

United Nations: Scores of diplo‑
mats including ambassadors of
four of the five permanent mem‑
bers of the UN Security Council ‑
Russia, China, France and Britain ‑
attended one of the largest
Republic Day receptions outside
India at the UN headquarters.
The US ambassador to the UN,
Nikki Haley, was the only P‑5
country envoy not to attend the
INDIA’S UN MISSION CELEBRATES R-DAY
Special to The South Asian Times
New York: The Permanent Mission
of India to the UN last week organ‑
ized an impressive ceremony on the
occasion of Republic Day on
January 26. Indiaʼs ambassador to
the UN, Syed Akbaruddin welcomed
the 200‑strong gathering and
thanked them for their participa‑
tion.
Ambassador Akbaruddin unfurled
the national flag at the UN mission
and read out parts of the speech
delivered in New Delhi on the eve of
Republic Day by President Ram
Nath Kovind. In 1950, the
Constitution came into effect on
January 26 when Rajendra Prasad
became the first president of the
country. The following are among
the excerpts read out by Amb.
Akbaruddin from the first such
speech delivered by Kovind:
“India believes in Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam (the world is one big
family). It is an ideal that may
sound impractical in todayʼs world
of tensions and terrorism. But it is
the ideal that has inspired India for
thousands of years & that ideal can
be felt in the very texture of our
constitutional values. The principles
of compassion, of those assisting in
need, & of building capacities of our
neighbors under pin our society.
“Such principles are also meant
for our global Indian family. When
Indians living abroad face humani‑
tarian or similar challenges, it is
natural for us as a country to reach
out to them. We have and we will
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Top diplomats grace R-Day
reception at United Nations
impressive reception hosted jointly
by the Permanent Mission of India
to the UN and the Indian Consulate
in New York. Haley, who was not in
town, sent one of her top diplo‑
mats to the event, which was
attended by several hundred
Indian Americans, of ficials of the
UN and envoys of scores of coun‑
tries at the UN. Prominent among
those present were the President
Indiaʼs Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin reads out excerpts
from message from the President of India marking India's 69th Republic Day.
continue to do so.
“In 2020, our Republic will turn
70. In 2022, we will celebrate the
75th anniversary of our independ‑
ence. These are special occasions
and we must strive, in the manner
of the leaders of our national move‑
ment and the framers of our
Constitution, to build the edifice of
a better India̶an India that will
reach its deserved pedestal in the
21st century.
“We need to move ahead rapidly
on the sustainable development
goals̶goals that commit us to
eliminating poverty and hunger, to
universal access to quality educa‑
tion and healthcare and giving our
daughters equal opportunity in
every field. I am confident that we
will always draw inspiration from
both our republican values as well
as from our ancient Indian ethos.”
The South Asian Times spoke to a
few people and all expressed the
view that such events will help
reunite Indians of all hues.
R-DAY IN TRISTATE
of the General Assembly Miroslav
Lajcak, and the Deputy UN secre‑
tary general Amina J. Mohammed.
Maleeha Lodhi, the Permanent
Representative of Pakistan to the
UN, surprised many by her pres‑
ence at Indiaʼs Republic Day cele‑
brations at the UN, which was
marked by an impressive dance
performance at the UN Delegates
Dining Room. “Though far from
Attendees enjoyed a sumptuous
breakfast, which consisted of a vari‑
ety of dishes from almost all regions
of India. Though the program
began around 8:30 in the morning,
it drew a considerable number of
people.
“I am glad such events are held by
our consulate and the mission. They
will help us know one another in
the community. Am happy to cele‑
brate an important program like
this,” pointed out R. Viswanathan,
CEO of State Bank of India, New
York branc h. Two teenagers, who
arrived in New York in recent
months, were equally upbeat. “The
food from a variety of states was
good. Patriotic songs and their
music was really excellent,” said
Krishanu Lahiri, who arrived from
Malaysia three months ago. The
ninth grader was witnessing the
event along with Shivani Rani Yedla,
who came to the Big Apple eight
months ago. She, too, reflected the
same feelings.
February 3-9, 2018 3
Indiaʼs shores, the young sing President of the General Assembly
about the ʻland that nourished and who is here with us, also to the Lt
nurturedʼ as we celebrate Indiaʼs Governor of New York, who is with
#Republicday2018@IndiaUNNewY us and the deputy secretary gener‑
ork,” Syed Akbaruddin, Indiaʼs al, who is with us,” Akbaruddin
Permanent Representative to the said as he was joined by other dig‑
UN, said in a tweet. nitaries in lighting the lamp.
“We are grateful this evening For many UN observers, it was
that several distinguished officials one of the largest gatherings of
as well as representatives have ambassadors at a public event at
joined us. I am grateful to the the UN.
R-Day celebrated at New York Consulate
Indiaʼs Consul General in New York, Sandeep Chakravorty joins the
guests at the Republic Day celebration at the Indian consulate on
January 26 morning. Ambassador Chakravorty addressed the audi‑
ence and read out excerpts from Indian President Kovindʼs address
to the nation marking the occasion. Diego Gomez Pickering, the
consul general of Mexico in New York was the guest of honor.
Consul General Sandeep
Chakravorty was presented a
congratulatory R‑Day message
8 by the stateʼs Lt. Governor Kathy
Hochul on behalf of New York
State Governor Andrew Cuomo
at an event at UN co‑organized
by the PMI & Indian Consulate.
The 69th Republic Day of
India was celebrated in
Washington DC on
January 26, 2018 at the
Embassy premises.
Ambassador Navtej Sarna 8
unfurled the National
Flag and read out
excerpts from the
address of the President
of India to the nation.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018

New Delhi: India celebrated its 69th
Republic Day with 10 leaders of
Asean countries taking a close look
at the country's military might and
cultural diversity and getting a peep
into achievements at the annual
grand parade here.
It was for the first time that 10
guests of honor ‑‑ from all 10 Asean
countries ‑‑ were invited for the
annual official celebrations, signify‑
ing India's growing strategic inter‑
ests in its eastern neighborhood
that surrounds the maritime under‑
belly of Asia ‑ the Indo‑Pacific.
Despite a thick fog blanketing the
city, hundreds turned up on both
sides of Rajpath in the heart of
Delhi to watch a grand march past
that wound its way over eight kilo‑
meters from Raisina Hill, with the
imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan in the
backdrop, to the 17th century Red
Fort.
The day began with President
Ram Nath Kovind unfurling the
Indian flag at the Rashtrapati
Bhavan and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi paying tributes to
the fallen soldiers at the Amar
Jawan Jyoti near India Gate.
Sporting a multi‑colored turban,
Modi personally invited the 10
New Delhi: Hundreds of men,
women and children donning
warm clothes braved the morning
winter chill to watch Indiaʼs mili‑
tary prowess and diverse cultural
heritage on display at the 69th
Republic Day parade at Rajpath.
A blanket of thick fog that
engulfed the city in the morning
and tight security restric‑
tions didn't deter the
enthusiasts from
venturing out to
India's
g ather at
Rajpath, liter‑
military, soft
ary meaning
King's Way ‑ a
power enthrall
ceremonial
boulevard that runs
crowd
from Rashtrapati Bhavan
on Raisina Hill to India Gate.
The parade, a showcase of an
impeccable display of might by the
Armed Forces and India's soft
power, this year had many firsts to
its credit.
Another first, and a thrilling one
at that, was the sight of women
BSF of ficers riding 350cc Royal
Enfield motorcycles, performing
acrobatics and daredevil stunts
with panache along the Rajpath.
In another first, Rudra armed
helicopters were part of the fly‑
past, in addition to the roaring IAF
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India celebrates 69th R-Day
with 10 Asean guests
President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries
during the Republic Day celebrations on Rajpath. (Photo: IANS/RB)
Asean guests to the stage where a
Who's Who of the government,
including Kovind and Defense
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, were
also seated.
President Kovind, the command‑
er‑in‑chief of the armed forces, took
his first Republic Day salute as the
parade was led by Army personnel
carrying the Asean flag and flags of
all 10 Asean nations.
It was followed by military and
paramilitary contingents, including
mounted troops from the 61st
Nirbhay Missile on Rajpath during Republic
Day Parade in New Delhi Jan 26, 2018.
fighter
jets.
There were
somber moments
as well. Kovind awarded the
Ashoka Chakra ‑ India's highest
peace‑time gallantry decoration ‑
posthumously to Air Force
Commando J.P. Nirala, who lost his
life in Jammu and Kashmir fight‑
ing a group of terrorists in a north
Kashmir village in November last.
A two‑minute silence observed
at the Amar Jawan Jyoti by Modi,
saw a hush descend on the
Rajpath before it came abuzz with
the foot‑steps of marching sol‑
diers, whirring sounds of moving
vehicles carrying prototypes of
THE PARADE
Cavalry and mechanized columns.
Martial music filled the air as sol‑
diers drawn from some of the finest
military units marched with clock‑
work precision.
Paramilitary personnel and Delhi
Police also walked, step to step.
The Army's T‑90 tank (Bhishma),
Ballway Machine Pikate (II/IIK),
Brahmos Missile System, weapon
locating radar (Swathi), bridge lay‑
ing tank T‑72, mobile base trans‑
ceiver station and Akash weapon
system were among the main draws
(Photo: IANS/PIB)
defense equipment, and folksongs
played on tableaux of various
states, and government ministries
and departments displaying their
achievements.
T he daredevil stunts of the
women BSF of ficers, who came
riding on 26 350cc Royal Enfield
motorcycles, were a real head
turner. A loud cheer went up as
the 'Seema Bhawani' women's con‑
tingent performed stunts like a
'Peacock' shape on one bike, 'Fish
riding', 'Four Harmony', 'Sapt
Rishi', 'Brahma yog Guldasta (lotus
formation)', 'Seema Prahari' and
'Flag March Pyramid'. It was the
first all‑women contingent from
any force to perform biking stunts.
February 3-9, 2018
It was for the
first time that
10 guests of
honor -- from
all 10 Asean
countries --
were invited
for the annual
official
celebrations.
in the mechanized columns.
It was a first all‑women contin‑
gent ‑‑ led by Sub Inspector Stanzin
Noryang, an of ficer from Jammu
and Kashmir's Ladakh region ‑‑
from any force to perform biking
stunts at the annual event.
Making its debut on the occasion
was the country's first indigenously‑
built Weapon System Integrated
helicopter Rudra, designed and
deve loped by the Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
After the armed forces came state
BSF camel contingent marches on Rajpath. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
All heads turned towards the
sky during the grand finale ‑ a
spectacular flypast by the IAF's
flying machines that performed
aerobatic maneuvers over Rajpath.
During the parade, Delhi's main
promenade came alive showcasing
India's latest init iat ives and
achievements along with its rich
diverse social and cultural her‑
itage, as the enthusiastic crowd,
holding tri‑color balloons, clapped
loudly and cheered to mark the
day India adopted its Constitution
68 years ago.
"The enthusiasm to watch the
parade never dies. It is a moment
of pride," said Sitanshu Rathi, 50, a
Delhi government employee. He
5
tableaux, displaying India's oneness
amid a rich diversity.
The tableau of All India Radio fea‑
tured Modi's monthly address
'Mann Ki Baat'. An Income Tax
Department tableau "Swachh Dhan"
displayed its fight to battle black
money.
The 90‑minute ceremonial parade
ended with a spectacular fly past by
the Air Force despite foggy condi‑
tions. Light combat aircraft Tejas,
Jaguars and MiG‑29 manoeuvred in
various formations over the Rajpath
skies.
The Sukhoi‑30 MKI aircraft split
upwards, making a 'Trishul' in the
sky, and another fighter plane per‑
formed 'vertical charlie' maneuver
over the saluting dais, leaving the
spectators in awe.
Fifteen of the 18 children who
won the National Bravery Award
also participated in the parade. Two
girls and a boy were given the
award posthumously.
School children from De lhi,
Nagpur and Dimapur performed
dances on different themes.
The military parade was com‑
manded by Lt. Gen. Asit Mistry,
General Of ficer Commanding,
Headquarters Delhi Area.
claimed he has never missed the
Republic Day parade in the last 25
years.
"It makes me feel more secure
every time our armed forces show‑
case how they are securing our
boundaries. It is a moment of
pride to see how diverse this coun‑
try is and is yet a seamless single
entity. We have to preserve it and
display this pride to the world," he
told IANS.
Around the parade venue, the
city had literally turned into a
fortress with special security
teams, ant i‑aircraft guns and
snipers deployed to keep a vigil on
the eight‑km path from Rajpath to
Red Fort.
 6 February 3-9, 2018
Indian‑Americans launch campaign
to remove Green Card backlog
Washington: Eminent Indian
Americans have launched a
nationwide campaign in the
US to create awareness about
massive backlog for green
cards which they say is
impacting some 300,000
high‑skilled Indian applicants.
Under the current regula‑
tion, skilled immigrants from
India need to wait anywhere
between 25‑92 years for a
Green Card due to per‑coun‑
More sanctions
against Russia over
ʻPutin's listʼ to come
Washington: US Treasury
Secretary Steven Mnuchin
emphasised on Tuesday that addi‑
tional sanctions will be imposed
in the near future on people
included on so‑called "Putin's
List".
T he "Putin's List" identifies
about 100 Russian oligarchs who
have acquired power or wealth
thanks to their connections with
President Vladimir Putin.
Mnuchin said that nobo dy
should jump to the conclusion
that no sanctions will be imposed
on the Russians named there, Efe
reported.
He was responding to criticism
from US lawmakers over the fail‑
ure by the Donald Trump admin‑
istration to impose sanctions
after Congress voted to do so due
to Moscow's interference in the
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try limits, said the newly‑
launched group
GCReforms.org.
The announcement for the
nationwide campaign comes
as the White House sent the
details of its immigration
reform to the Congress.
“We not only support the
physician groups involved in
the immigration issues but
also support a fair green card
allocation process for engi‑
2016 presidential vote.
"In the near future, you'll see
additional sanctions," Mnuchin
said while providing testimony
be fore the Senate Banking
Committee. "In the next several
months, maybe a month, I want to
be careful in making that commit‑
ment."
"There was an extraordinary
amount of work that went into
this," Mnuchin said regarding the
list containing the names of 114
people, including 96 oligarchs
close to Putin with estimated
individual net worth of $1 billion
or more.
Among those on the list are
petroleum magnate Roman
Abramovich, the owner of
Britain's Chelsea soccer team,
along with Oleg Deripaska and
Mikhail Prokhorov.
Associate Editor:
Hiral Dholakia-Dave
Contributing Editors: Surekha Vijh
(Washington DC), Suchitra Srinivas (New
Jersey), Shivaji Sengupta, Nilima Madan,
Melvin Durai, Dr Prem Kumar Sharma,
Ashok Vyas, Dr Akshat Jain,
and Ashok Ojha.
West Coast Correspondent
Pooja Jain,
Pooja@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India's Military Might,
Cultural Prowess on Show
Continued from page 1
salute from various wings of the Indian Army,
the Air Force and the Navy.
Sporting a multi‑colored turban, Prime
Minister Narendra Modi personally invited
neers and other professionals delay needed to be eliminated the ASEAN guests to the stage where a Who's
that are caught up in the as this slowed down American Who of the government, including Defense
quandary,” said innovation and job creation, Minister Nirmala Sitharaman were also
GCReforms.org president said Kiran Kumar Thota, one seated. Making its debut on the occasion was
Sampat Shivangi. of its founding members. the country's first indigenously‑built Weapon
“I strongly support the “Many bright individuals System Integrated helicopter Rudra, designed
cause,” said Ved Nanda, uni‑ who are hard working and and developed by the Hindustan Aeronautics
versity professor at the self‑driven are always under Ltd (HAL).
University of Denver Sturm stress to keep the same job After the armed forces came state tableaux,
College of Law and Padma role,” said Rishi Bhutada, displaying India's oneness amid a rich
Bhushan awardee, in a state‑ director at Hindu American diversity.
ment issued by Foundation. The 90‑minute ceremonial parade ended
GCReforms.org. Green Card Source: PTI with a spectacular fly past by the Air Force
despite foggy conditions.
Trump touts safe, strong and proud America
Continued from page 1 "depraved" North Korea. 8 Americans deserve a govt that
news, bad news' to Indians, He warned that Pyongyang's shows them love and loyalty.
President Trump said he wants "reckless pursuit of nuclear mis‑ Working with the Senate, we
America to move fully to a merit‑ siles could very soon threaten our are appointing judges who
based immigration system when homeland. will interpret the Constitution
approving green cards, because "We are waging a campaign of as written.
that's the only way to put America maximum pressure to prevent 8 We are defending our second
first. "It is time to move towards a that from happening." Amendment and taking
merit‑based immigration system, actions to protect religious
Excerpts from Trump's
one that admits people who are liberty. We are serving our
State of Union speech: brave veterans, giving them a
skilled, who can contribute to our
society, who can love and respect 8 Over the last year, the world choice in their healthcare
our country," he said. Such a has seen that no people on decisions
merit‑based immigration system earth are as daring and fear‑ 8 We are now, very proudly, an
could benefit highly‑skilled Indian less as Americans. Letʼs begin exporter of energy to the
workers, but it will also prevent tonight by recognizing that world
them from sponsoring their the State of Union is strong 8 One of my main priorities is to
extended families. because our people are strong reduce the cost of prescrip‑
On trade, Trump warned coun‑ 8 Together we are building a tion drugs
tries like China, saying the era of safe and strong America. 8 It is time to rebuild our crum‑
America's "economic surrender" is Since the election, we have bling infrastructure. I am ask‑
over and the US is seeking to enter created 2.4 million new jobs. ing Congress for $ 1.5 trillion
into new trade agreements with Unemployment has hit a 45‑ for infrastructure.
nations that commit to fair and year low. African‑American 8 As part of our defence, we
reciprocal trade. He said his unemployment, hit the lowest must modernize and rebuild
administration will work to fix bad levels ever recorded our nuclear arsenal, hopefully
trade deals and negotiate new 8 We eliminated an especially never having to use it, but
ones to protect American workers. cruel tax. We repeal the disas‑ making it so strong and pow‑
After taking credit for annihilat‑ trous Obamacare individual erful that it will deter any acts
ing ISIS, Trump condemned mandate. of aggression.
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 TheSouthAsianTimes.info
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind, in
his first Republic Day eve address to the
nation, asked the rich to renew India's age‑
old culture of philanthropy by voluntarily
giving up their entitlements for those with
greater need.
The President also spoke of the need to
move ahead rapidly on sustainable develop‑
ment goals like housing for all and the obli‑
gation to eliminate the curse of poverty in
the shortest possible time.
Kovind utilized the opportunity to stress
on the need to reform, upgrade and enlarge
the education system to make it relevant to
21st Century realities of the digital econo‑
my, genomics, robotics and automation.
He said a nation with a sense of selfless‑
ness is built by citizens and by a society that
embraces selflessness not because anybody
has asked them to but because of a call from
within.
"Where a better‑of f family voluntarily
gives up an entitlement ‑ it could be subsi‑
dized LPG today and some other entitlement
tomorrow ‑ so that another family, which
has a greater need, can avail it."
He urged all citizens to collate privileges
and entitlements and "then look at less‑priv‑
ileged members of a similar background,
those who are starting of f from where we
once started off.
"And let each of us introspect and ask: Is
his need or her need greater than mine? The
spirit of philanthropy and of giving is part of
our age‑old culture. Let us renew it."
The President said the highest stage of
India's nation building project lied in con‑
tributing towards building "a better world, a
composite and cohesive world, a world at
peace with itself and at peace with nature".
He said this was the ideal spirit of
Modi pays tribute at Amar Jawan Jyoti
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
paid tribute to soldiers who laid down their
lives for the country by laying a wreath at
the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate on the
occasion of Republic Day.
Mo di was accompanied by De fence
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Army Chief
General Bipin Rawat, Air Force chief Air
Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa and Navy Chief
Admiral Sunil Lanba.
After laying the wreath, Modi observed a
two‑minute silence to pay tribute to the fall‑
en soldiers.
Modi later walked a few paces along the
Rajpath to g reet the people after the
Republic Day parade had ended and waved
to the cheering crowd.
The Prime Minister greeted people seated
on both sides of Rajpath soon after
President Ram Nath Kovind and the leaders
of 10 Asean countries had left the venue.
Modi, who was attired in churidar‑kameez
coupled with a jacket, sported a traditional
PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
Help those with greater
need: President
President Ram Nath Kovind addressing the nation on the eve of the 69th Republic Day.
(Photo: IANS/RB)
"Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ‑ of the world
being one family".
"It is an ideal that may sound impractical
in today's times of tensions and of terrorism.
But it is an ideal that has inspired India for
thousands of years ‑ and that ideal can be
felt in the very texture of our constitutional
values.
"The principles of compassion, of assisting
those in need, of building capacities of our
neighbors, or even of those further away,
underpin our society. These are the very
principles that we bring to the international
community."
He said the country needed to further
improve the lives of its farmers who "like
mothers toil to feed us".
The President stressed on the need to
modernise and strengthen India's strategic
manufacturing sector "to provide the valiant
personnel of our Armed Forces, and our
police and paramilitary forces, the equip‑
Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate.
turban with a long flowing end. He waved to
the crowds on one side and then moved to
Ram Nath Kovind
stressed on the
need to reform,
upgrade and
enlarge the
education system
to make it relevant
to 21st century
realities of the
digital economy,
genomics,
robotics and
automation
ment that they need".
"We need to move ahead rapidly on the
Sustainable Development Goals that commit
us to eliminating poverty and hunger, to uni‑
versal access to quality education and
healthcare, and to giving our daughters
equal opportunity in every field.
"We need to make clean, green, efficient
and affordable energy reach our people. We
need to ensure that housing for all becomes
a living reality for the millions of families
who await their own home. We need to craft
a modern India that is both a land of talent ‑
and a land of unlimited opportunities for
that talent."
Kovind said while India has achieved a lot
as a nation but much remained to be done
before the country turns 70 year old repub‑
lic in 2020 and ce le brates its 75th
Independence anniversary in 2022
"These are special occasions and we must
strive, in the manner of the leaders of our
the other.
The security personnel kept pace with
February 3-9, 2018 7
Kovind's veiled
attack against
'Padmaavat' protests
New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind
made a veiled attack on the protests
against controversial Hindi movie
"Padmaavat", saying disagreements should
not mock a fellow citizen's dignity and
personal space.
T he President's attack in his first
Republic Day eve address to the nation
came against the backdrop of violence in
some states by supporters of Rajput outfit
Karni Seva who opposed the release of the
Sanjay Leela Bansali‑directed film. The
Kerna Sena has been protesting against
the period film because they allege that it
shows the 14th Century Rajput queen Rani
Padmaavati, also known as Padmini, in
less than honorable light.
"A civic‑minded nation is built by civic‑
minded neighborhoods, whether in our
cities or our villages. Where we respect
the next‑door person's space, privacy and
rights. Where we do not inconvenience
our neighbors while celebrating a festival
or while resorting to a protest or on any
other occasion. "Where one can disagree
with another viewpoint ‑ or even with a
historical context ‑ without mocking a fel‑
low citizen's dignity and personal space.
This is fraternity in action."
national movement and the framers of our
Constitution, to build the edifice of a better
India ‑ an India where each and every citizen
will be able to realize his or her full poten‑
tial. An India that will reach its deserved
pedestal in the 21st century."
him and maintained a security ring around
him.
Modi welcomed the leaders of 10 Asean
countries at the Rajpath as they arrived as
the chief guests of India's 69th Republic Day
celebrations.
Modi, who wore a traditional headgear,
shook hands with the Asean leaders as they
arrived. The leaders wore a traditional
Indian scarf.
It was the first time that leaders of 10
Asean countries were chief guests at the
Republic Day parade.
They were President Joko Widodo of
Indonesia, Philippines President Rodrigo
Duterte, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of
Singapore, Prime Minister T hong loun
Sisoulith of Laos, Prime Minister Nguyen
Xuan Phuc of Vietnam, Prime Minister Najib
Razak of Malaysia, Prime Minister Hun Sen
of Cambodia, General Prayuth Chan‑o‑cha of
Thailand, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar
and Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

Patriotism
marks festivities
in Maharashtra
Maharashtra Governor
C.V. Rao inspects Guard of
Honor in Mumbai
(Photo: Sandeep Mahankal/IANS)
Mumbai: Maharashtra celebrat‑
ed the 69th Republic Day with a
dash of color and lots of patriotic
fervor with Governor C.V. Rao
unfurling the tricolor at the main
official function and taking the
salute at a ceremonial parade
held at the historic Shivaji Park
here.
Besides the state capital, major
functions were held in Nagpur,
Thane, Pune, Nashik,
Aurangabad, Kolhapur, various
district headquarters, establish‑
ments of the Indian Army, Indian
Navy and Indian Air Force in dif‑
ferent parts of the state.
Millions of people from differ‑
ent sections of society, including
school and college students,
women and senior citizens
joined enthusiastically at the fes‑
tivities in various public, govern‑
ment, social, private and society
events organized across the
state.
In Mumbai, the much‑awaited
colorful parade saw a lively
march‑past by disciplined units
of the Indian Navy, Indian Coast
Guard, Central Industrial
Security Force, State Reserve
Police Force, BMC Armed Police
Force, Anti Riot Police, BMC
Women Police, Mumbai Railway
Police, Home Guards, Traffic
Police, Mumbai Fire Brigade,
National Service Scheme, Sea
Cadets, Scouts and Guide and
others.
This was followed by topical
and well‑designed floats high‑
lighting various achievements
and current topics, cultural pre‑
sentations, showcasing different
aspects of the state put up by
various government depart‑
ments, which were cheered by
the assembled crowds.
8 February 3-9, 2018
New Delhi: From flaunting tricolor
clothes to flags adorning the vehi‑
cles, the people of Delhi sported
patriotism with the colors of the
national flag everywhere ‑‑ a day
the nation marked its 69th Republic
Day.
With #Republicday2018 as one of
the trending hashtags on Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram, young‑
sters took to the social networking
sites to give vent to their patriotic
fervor.
From putting tricolor frames on
profile pictures to uploading selfies
wearing the colors of saffron, white
and green, they expressed their love
for the country. With street vendors
selling bands, flags, hats etc., people
wore patriotism on their sleeves.
Many people were seen with their
faces painted with the flag colors.
The Republic Day marks the day
when the Indian Constitution came
into effect ‑‑ on January 26, 1950.
"We got our Constitution on this
day. We are celebrating that," 11‑
year‑old Tanmay with tricolor paint
on his face told IANS.
Shopping complexes and market
places were all soaked in the three
colours and patriotic songs were
being played by several of them.
"I woke up to loud cheers of
'Vande Mataram'. T here was a
group of people raising the slogan
as they walked past on the street,"
said Shrinkhala Jain, a De lhi
University student.
Bengal joins nation
in celebrating R‑Day
Kolkata: Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi
unfurled the Tricolor and took the salute
at a colorful march‑past here in Indira
Gandhi Sarani as West Bengal joined the
rest of the nation in celebrating the 69th
Republic Day. Tripathi inspected a guard
of honor and took the salute during a
hour‑long customary parade in which
units from the army, navy and air force
took part with their respective tableau
showcasing sophisticated weapons includ‑
ing guns, rocket launchers and the sur‑
face‑to‑air Python and Derby (Spyder)
missile system.
Greeting the people of the state on the
occasion, Tripahi called upon all to do
their bit in order to secure the dreams of
the nation's founding fathers and renew a
pledge for the country's unity and integri‑
ty. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee, a number of members of her
cabinet, senior bureaucrats and police
officers, and members of the diplomatic
R-DAY STATES TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Artistes perform during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to meet NCC Cadets at
Teen Murti Lawns in New Delhi. (Photo: Amlan Paliwal/IANS)
Patriotic fervor grips Delhi
"Market areas and restaurants beautiful lights since a day prior to woollens braved the morning win‑
were decorated with tricolor bal‑ the Republic Day, like every year. ter chill to watch India's military
loons. So I also decided to sport the The national flag could be seen flut‑ prowess and diverse cultural her‑
colors of our national flag with a tering atop cars, auto‑rickshaws and itage on display at the annual
suit matching the shades in the bicycles across the national capital, parade here. The parade, a show‑
flag," the 21‑year‑old said. where most important R‑Day cele‑ case of an impeccable display of
Government buildings, including brations are organized at Rajpath might by the Armed Forces and
Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament every year. T housands of men, India's soft power, this year had
House, had been decorated with women and children covered in many firsts to its credit.
West Bengal
R‑DAY: RAHUL GIVEN SIXTH
Chief Minister
Mamata
ROW SEAT, CONGRESS LIVID
Banerjee
arrives to
attend
Republic Day
parade in
Kolkata.
(Photo: IANS)
Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi with Delhi Chief
Minister Arvind Kejriwal during ʻAt Homeʼ reception hosted
by President Ram Nath Kovind on Republic Day.
corps were present at the parade held New Delhi: T he Congress Rahul Gandhi first sit in the
under tight security. Various contingents accused the Modi govern‑ fourth row and then in the
of Kolkata and West Bengal police person‑ ment of indulging in "cheap sixth row in the function to
nel, Border Security Force, traf fic ser‑ politics" after party chief mark the national festival of
geants, fire brigade, and NCC cadets also Rahul Gandhi was made to Republic Day.
participated in the parade. witness the Republic Day "For us, the festival of
School students from the city and the function here from a sixth Constitution is most impor‑
districts took part in the parade and pre‑ row seat. tant," Surjewala said.
sented brief cultural shows on the streets. Randeep Surjewala, Gandhi witnessed the
The 'unity in brotherhood' tableau from Communications In‑charge of parade at Rajpath seated
the state, which did not find a place in the the Congress, tweeted that along with Leader of
Republic Day procession in Delhi, was the "cheap politics" of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
also showcased in the march here. Modi government was evi‑ Ghulam Nabi Azad. Several
The national flag was hoisted at various dent to everyone. Union ministers, including
union and state government offices across He said the BJP‑led Central Information and
the state to mark the day. government had broken the Broadcasting Minister Smriti
A large number of organizations, educa‑ convention under which the Irani, were seated in rows
tional institutions, and clubs also celebrat‑ president of the Congress was ahead of him.
ed the Republic Day throughout the state given a front row seat. It was his first Republic Day
by hoisting flags and organizing march‑ "The arrogant government function as party chief after
past by students and children. Flags were broke with tradition and con‑ having taken over the post
also unfurled at the headquarters of sev‑ vention and de liberate ly from his mother Sonia Gandhi
eral political parties in the city. made the Congress President in December last year.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018
 10 February 3-9, 2018 R-DAY STATES TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Telangana, Andhra don R-Day colors

BSF refuses to
exchange sweets
with Pak Rangers
The move by the BSF came
following the heightened tension
between both countries.
Attari (Punjab): The Border
Security Force (BSF) refused to
exchange sweets and greetings
with their Pakistani counterparts
‑ the Pakistan Rangers, on the
occasion of the 69th Republic
Day. The move by the BSF came
following the heightened tension
between both countries along the
International Border (IB) and Line
of Control (LoC) in Jammu and
Kashmir due to repeated ceasefire
violations by Pakistani forces
leading to killing of soldiers and
civilians on the Indian side.
Tension continues to prevail
along the IB and LoC for the past
few months due to repeated
ceasefire violations.
BSF sources said it was con‑
veyed to the Pakistan Rangers on
Thursday that no sweets will be
exchanged on Republic Day.
Border guards of both countries
follow a tradition of exchanging
sweets for the past several years
on major religious festivals, like
Eid and Diwali, and also during
Independence Days of both coun‑
tries and India's Republic Day.
The BSF is on maximum alert
along Punjab's barbed wire
fenced 553‑km IB with Pakistan.
In the past 4‑5 years, border
guards have skipped the
exchange of sweets on a few
occasions.
Hyderabad/Vijayawada: Patriotic
fervor and gaiety marked the 69th
Republic Day celebrations in both
the Telugu states of Telangana and
Andhra Pradesh.
The national flag was unfurled at
the main of ficial funct ions in
Hyderabad and Vijayawada, in all
district headquarters, government
institutions and offices of all politi‑
cal parties.
Governor of both the states, E.S.L.
Narasimhan led the celebrations.
For the fourth year in a row, he first
unfurled the nat ional flag in
Hyderabad be fore leaving for
Andhra Pradesh to do the honors.
The Governor reviewed the color‑
ful parade at Parade Grounds in
Hyderabad. Military and police con‑
tingents participated in the parade.
Addressing the parade, the
Governor said the three‑and‑a‑half‑
year‑old state Te lang ana was
marching ahead on the path of
development, living up to the peo‑
No place for political, communal hatred: Kerala Governor
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala
Governor P. Sathasivam said that
political and communal hatred and
terrorism have no place in a demo‑
cratic society.
Sathasivam stated this while
addressing a Republic Day parade
here at the Central Stadium. He
urged the gathering to be on guard
against actions which lower the
image of the state.
"It is necessary to think of the
areas where we need to improve.
We are at times disturbed by the
tendency of some of our youth
falling prey to political and commu‑
nal feuds.
"More disturbing is the alleged
participation of some people in ter‑
ror outfits both in India and out‑
side," said Sathasivam.
"It is true that the strong institu‑
t ions of demo cracy that our
Constitution has given us will step
in to safeguard during any crisis,
but we must always be on our
guard against the slightest action
that threatens our harmony," added
the Governor.
Sathasivam said "as we celebrate
the everlasting wisdom of our
Constitution and call to mind the
Artistes perform during Republic Day parade celebrations
in Vijayawada. (Photo: IANS)
ple's expectations and becoming a
role model for other states.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar
Rao, his cabinet colleagues and sen‑
ior of ficials participated in the
function. The Governor later flew to
Vijayawada, where he unfurled the
national flag at the Municipal
Grounds. He reviewed the parade.
In his speech on the occasion, he
The tableau of Kerala during Republic Day parade
on Rajpath. (Photo: IANS/PIB)
deep commitments and values that
unite us as a nation, let us remem‑
ber that each one of us has a role to
play in the promise and future of
India."
"We are sure that all of us will
stand united and use our character,
hard work, participation and com‑
mitment to build a richer, more
progressive, more powerful and
super‑charged India," the Governor
said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan
and several high‑ranking of ficials
were also present on the occasion.
Vijayan's cabinet colleagues took
said overcoming the post‑bifurca‑
tion hurdles, Andhra Pradesh was
achieving all‑round development.
He claimed that "85 per cent peo‑
ple in the state are happy".
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.
Chandrababu Naidu could not
attend the function as his return
from Davos was delayed.
Telangana Assembly Speaker
the salute at 13 district headquar‑
ters, while numerous state, central
and private organisations also
unfurled the Indian Tricolour
across the state.
RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat
unfurled the Tricolour at a CBSE
school in Palakkad, while the state
government had clearly indicated
that it should be done only by the
institution head or elected repre‑
sentatives of the people.
Top state BJP and RSS leaders
also attended the function.
However, the school authorities
pointed out that the CBSE schools
Madhusudhana Chary unfurled the
flag at a ceremony held in the
Assembly premises.
At Telangana Bhavan, the head‑
quarters of the ruling Telangana
Rashtra Samithi ( TRS), senior
leader and Home Minister N.
Narasimha Reddy unfurled the
national flag.
Te lugu Desam Party ( TDP),
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and
other part ies org anized the
Republic Day celebrations at their
offices in both the states.
Actor and Jana Sena party chief
Pawan Kalyan participated in the
Republic Day function held at the
party office in Hyderabad.
Majlis‑e‑Ittehadul Muslimeen
(MIM) chief and Hyderabad MP
Asaduddin Owaisi unfurled the tri‑
color at Madina circle in the old
city. MIM Joint Secretary Hussain
Anwar unfurled the national flag at
Darussalam, the party headquar‑
ters.
Anandiben
celebrates
R-Day in MP
Bhopal: Mad hya Pradesh
Governor Anandiben Patel cele‑
brated the 69th Republic Day
here w ith g reat pomp and
pageantry as she hoisted the tri‑
color.
At the Lal Parade Ground, the
newly‑appointed Governor also
inspected the parade and took
the salute at an impressive march
past.
T he Indian flag was also
unfurled in other parts of the city
against the backdrop of patriotic
songs and rallies. T he Chie f
Minister's residence, Raj Bhavan,
the offices of the ruling Bharatiya
Janata Party and the Congress
also saw flag hoist ing cere‑
monies.
do not come under the direct juris‑
diction of the state government.
Bhagwat created a stir on last
Independence Day when he
unfurled the Tricolour at a state‑
supported school.

POMP, PAGEANTRY MARK R‑DAY CELEBRATIONS IN UP

Lucknow: The 69th Republic Day was cele‑
brated in the capital and other parts of
Uttar Pradesh with pomp and pageantry,
amid tight security.
Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath led the celebrations at the
main parade event held in front of the
Vidhan Sabha building. Naik took the salute
at the parade, led by Lt Col Rajat Singh
Panwar. Tableaux of various government
departments and schools were taken out
afterwards as people cheered the partici‑
pants. The theme of religious tourism
echoed in the government tableaux.
Adityanath unfurled the Tricolour at his
official 5, Kalidas Marg residence. This was
his first Republic Day as Chief Minister. In a
message, he exhorted the people to con‑
tribute in their own way to the prosperity
and development of the nation. Adityanath
said the government was implementing and
introducing various schemes for compre‑
hensive development and prosperity of all
sections of society. The government, he
pointed out, was ensuring more participa‑
tion of people in the government adminis‑
tration, solving peoples' problems, develop‑
ment of social tribes, ecological balance
and environmental conservation, employ‑
ment programmes, healthcare and security,
promoting education, development of
industries, social welfare, women security UP Governor Ram Naik and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath
and empowerment and police reforms. during Republic Day Parade in Lucknow. (Photo: IANS)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018
 12 February 3-9, 2018 ASEAN R-DAY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with

ASEAN leaders at Rashtrapati Bhavan
in New Delhi. (Photo: IANS/PIB)

China 'okay' with

India-Asean ties
Beijing: China cautiously wel‑
comed India hosting leaders of
the Association of South East

India, Asean to boost maritime

Asian Nations (Asean) on its
Republic Day, which many see as
a move by New Delhi to counter
Beijing's influence in the region.
Beijing said it was "okay" with
New Delhi developing friendly
and cooperative ties with the 10‑
member bloc. It said a section of
the Indian media was obsessed
with China. "China is open to all
countries developing friendly
relations. So, we are okay with
India developing friendly and
cooperative relations with Asean
countries," Foreign Ministry
spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
"We hope all countries can
work together for peace, stability
and development of the region.
We can all play a constructive
role in the regard," Hua said.
Last year, India invited the lead‑
ers of Asean countries to attend
its Republic Day celebrations.
Most Asean leaders have already
gathered in New Delhi to attend
the function.
Experts say New Delhi's intent
to deepen ties with the bloc has
also to do with countering China.
China is gradually winning over
its foes in the bloc like the
Philippines and Vietnam who are
claimants to the disputed South
China Sea. Reacting to the view,
Hua said this was a media cre‑
ation. "In recent days some Indian
media seems to have cultivated a
habit. They will link their domes‑
tic affairs with China," Hua said.
cooperation, combat terrorism
New Delhi: In line with New Delhi's
Act East Policy that puts southeast
Asia at its centre, India and the
Asean regional bloc have agreed to
enhance maritime cooperation
while reiterating their commitment
to fight the global scourge of terror‑
ism together.
With the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean) leaders by his
side, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
made a strong pitch for nations to
follow international law of the seas
in the Indo‑Pacific region ‑ in a
veiled attack on China which has
been accused by most of its neigh‑
bors of violating the rule of law in
the South China Sea.
"India shares the Asean vision for
rule‑based societies and values of
peace," Modi said in his opening
remarks at the plenary session here
of the Commemorative Summit to
mark 25 years of the India‑Asean
Dialogue Partnership.
He said India is committed to
enhancing cooperation in the mar‑
itime domain with the Asean
regional bloc.
"We are committed to work with
Asean nations to enhance collabora‑
tion in the maritime domain," he
said The Asean comprises Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam,
and heads of state or government of
all these countries are participating
in the Commemorative Summit,
themed "Shared Destiny, Common
Values". The heads of government
and state from these 10 countries
are here as guests of honour at the
Republic Day celebrations on
Friday. A joint statement issued fol‑
lowing the Summit said both sides
reaffirmed "the importance of main‑
taining and promoting peace, stabil‑
ity, maritime safety and security,
freedom of navigation and over‑
flight in the region, and other lawful
uses of the seas and unimpeded
lawful maritime commerce and to
promote peaceful resolutions of dis‑
putes, in accordance with universal‑
ly recognised principles of interna‑
tional law, including the 1982
United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea (Unclos), and the rel‑
evant standards and recommended
practices by the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO) and
the International Maritime
Organization (IMO)".
"In this regard, we support the
full and effective implementation of
the Declaration on the Conduct of
the Parties in the South China Sea
(DOC) and look forward to an early
conclusion of the Code of Conduct
in the South China Sea (COC)," it
stated.
Both sides also agreed to
"strengthen maritime cooperation
through existing relevant mecha‑
nisms including the Expanded
Asean Maritime Forum (EAMF) to
address common challenges on
maritime issues".
India and Asean also agreed to
"deepen cooperation in combating
terrorism in all its forms and mani‑
festations, violent extremism and
radicalization through information
sharing, law enforcement coopera‑
tion and capacity building under
the existing ASEAN‑led mecha‑
nisms".
In his address, Modi said the
nature of Asean‑India partnership
has evolved significantly.
"Our trade has grown 25 times in
25 years. Investments are robust
and growing. We will further
enhance trade ties and work
towards greater interaction among
our business communities."
According to the joint statement,
both sides agreed to "further
strengthen Asean‑India economic
relations, including through the full
utilization and effective implemen‑
tation of the Asean‑India Free Trade
Area, and intensify efforts in 2018
toward the swift conclusion of a
modern, comprehensive, high quali‑
ty, and mutually beneficial Regional
Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP)".
The RCEP is a proposed free
trade agreement (FTA) between the
10 Asean member states and the six
countries with which Asean has
FTAs ‑‑ Australia, China, India,
Japan, New Zealand and South
Korea. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime
Minister of Singapore, which has
assumed the Asean chair this year,
said that India and the regional bloc
have to increase trade and econom‑
ic cooperation. "The RCEP being
negotiated represents a historic
opportunity to establish the world's
largest trading region," he said.

Indonesia, Malaysia share counter‑terrorism experiences

New Delhi: Indonesian President
Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime
Minister Najib Razak shared their
respective countries' experience of
countering terrorism during the
course of their visit to India to
attend the Commemorative Summit
to mark 25 years of the India‑Asean
Dialogue Partnership, a senior offi‑
cial said here.
At a media briefing here, Preeti
Saran, Secretary (East) in the
External Affairs Ministry, said that
during the bilateral meetings Prime
Minister Narendra Modi had with
Widodo and Razak, both visiting
leaders "shared their own experi‑
ences and the legislations they have
introduced in their own countries".
"The soft and hardware aspects of
countering terrorism," Saran
explained. "The hardware aspects of
strict actions to be taken through
enabling laws and the software
actions in terms of how to ensure
that the youth do not go the path of
extremism or radicalisation." While
Indonesia is the country with the
largest Muslim population, over 61
per cent of the population in
Malaysia follow Islam.
T he Asean comprises Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Giving an overview of the
Commemorative Summit, Saran
said: "All of the 10 Asean countries
have appreciated India's role and
the bilateral relationship we enjoy
with each one of them and the fact
that India has played such a positive
role in the Indo‑Pacific region".
"The message we got from the 10
leaders was that they feel India is a
very important component for President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu,
peace, stability and prosperity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ASEAN dignitaries during
the Indo‑Pacific region," she said. 'At home' reception at Rashtrapati Bhawan.
 TheSouthAsianTimes.info R-DAY IN PICTURES February 3-9, 2018 13

People watch
illuminated North
and South Blocks
during Beating 8
The Retreat
ceremony on
Rajpath.

Pomp, pageantry
mark R-Day
From reverberating beats and soft notes
echo with an Indian touch at Rajpath
to women performing Punjabi folk
dance ‘gidha’ in Amritsar,
the nation celebrated
69th Republic day

8
with fun, frolic and Republic Day parade underway in Srinagar.

fervor. Some
glimpses…
8
Maharashtra
wins best
tableau
prize in
Republic
Day parade
8

Boys carry Tricolors as part of R‑Day celebrations in Bengaluru. (Photos: IANS)

Former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev,

8 actors Sidharth Malhotra, Manoj
Bajpayee and singer Mankirt Women
Aulakh at the Attari‑Wagah border. performing folk
dance ʻgidhaʼ in
Amritsar.
8

P
resident Ramanath Kovind
awarded the Padma awards
this Republic Day to a host
of distinguished personalities
including 98‑year‑old social work‑
er Sudhanshu Biswas, 'father of
palliat ive care in India' MR
Rajagopal, renowned scientist toy‑
maker Arvind Gupta, painter
Bhajju Shyam and unsung heroes
such as herbal medicine expert
known as 'grandmother of medi‑
cine' – Lakshmikutty, midwife
Sulagatti Narasamma and a house‑
maid who built a hospital for poor
Subhasini Mistry.
Music director Isaignani
Ilaiyaraja was awarded the Padma
Vibhushan award.
Cricketer and for‑
mer India captain
Mahendra
Singh Dhoni
received
t h e More
Padma
Bhushan.
T h e
list of
recipi‑
ents also
includes
Paralympic
gold medalist
Murlikant
Petkar and monk
physician Yeshi Dhoden.
T hese awardees are given
awards in their fields and disci‑
plines of speciality such as art, lit‑
erature and education, sports,
medicine, social work, science and
PM MODI PRESENTS NATIONAL BRAVERY AWARDS TO 18 BRAVEHEARTS
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Wednesday
gave away the National Bravery
Award to 18 children selected
from across the country. Three
awards were given posthumously.
Congratulating the winners of
National Bravely Award, Prime
Minister wished them good luck
in their future endeavors.
The children, a source of great
pride and mot ivat ion for the
countrymen, include seven girls
and 11 boys aged between 6 to
18.
18 year old Nazia was given the
highest of the Bharat Award, the
highest National Bravery Award.
The recipients, selected from
across India, were given a medal,
certificate and a cash prize.
They also received financial
assistance to complete their
14 February 3-9, 2018 AWARDS TheSouthAsianTimes.info
85 conferred Padma Awards
Includes educationist Ved Prakash Nanda from the US
List of Padma
Awardees
Padma Vibhushan
1. Illaiyaraja,Art‑Music,
Tamil Nadu
2. Ghulam Mustafa Khan,
Art‑Music,Maharashtra
3. Parameswaran
Parameswaran, Literature
and Education, Kerala
Educationist Dr Ved Prakash Padma Bhushan
Nanda was the only award Paralympic gold medalist Music director Isaignani Ilaiyaraja
Murlikant Petkar received Padma was awarded Padma Vibhushan 4. Pankaj Advani,
recipient from the US. He was
conferred Padma Bhushan. Shri (Image : indiatimes.com) (Image courtesy: en.miui.com) SportsBilliards/Snooker,
Karnataka
engineering, public af fairs, civil Vibhushan, nine Padma Bhushan, awards were conferred posthu‑ 5. Philipose Mar Chrysostom,
service, trade and industry. and 73 Padma Shri. mously. Others‑Spiritualism, Kerala
Of these, three 16 awardees were either for‑ The list of Padma awardees also 6. Mahendra Singh Dhoni,
were Padma eigners, PIOs, or NRIs, includes one recipient from each Sports‑Cricket, Jharkhand
while three ASEAN country, a move to com‑ 7. Alexander Kadakin,
of the memorate the silver (Foreigner/Posthumous),
jubilee of the India‑
Public Affairs Russia
ASEAN partnership.
8. Ramachandran
than
Nagaswamy, Others‑
15,000 Indians
Archaeology, Tamil Nadu
are nominated
9. Ved Prakash Nanda, (OCI)
for the
Literature and Education
P a d m a
awards for USA
2018, w ith 10. Laxman Pai, Art‑Painting,
the govern‑ Goa
ment lay ing 11. Arvind Parikh, Art‑Music,
stress on hon‑ Maharashtra
oring the 12. Sharda Sinha, Art‑Music,
Cricketer unsung heroes. Bihar
Billiards
and former India player Pankaj Advani P a d m a
captain Mahendra Singh was awarded Padma B h u s h a n Mar Chrysostom, Alexander
Dhoni received the Bhushan a w a r d e e s Kadakia, Ramachandram
Padma Bhushan (Image courtesy: include billiards Nag aswamy, Laxman Pai,Ved
(Image : dnaindia.com) youtube.com) player Pankaj Prakash Nanda, Arvind Parikh, and
Advani, Philipose Sharda Sinha.
schooling.
Addressing them Prime
Minister said that the moment
should be used as an opportunity
by them.
President Ramnath Kovind host‑
ed a reception for the awardees,
who also part icipated in the
Republic Day parade at Rajpath
on January 26th.
The awards are divided into five
categories‑ Bharat Award, Geeta
Chopra Award, Sanjay Chopra
Award, Bapu Gaidhani Award, and
General National Bravery Awards.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind
Kejriwal said the whole country is
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maneka
proud of them. Fearless children Gandhi, Minister for Women & Child
8
are an asset to the society, he Development, posing with the Bravery
added. Award winning children on Jan 24, 2018.
First announced in 1957, the
Bravery Awards have so far been Nazia, 18, receiving the highest
given to 680 boys and 283 girls. bravery award from PM Modi.
8
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018
 16 February 3-9, 2018 R-DAY MESSAGES TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Consul General’s R-Day Message from

R-Day Message India's envoy to UN
I
am glad to know that including at the United
To The South Asian Times T he South Asian Nations. As a large and
Times is publishing a diverse country in an
special edition on the increasingly globalized

I
wish the readers of The South occasion of Indiaʼs 69th world, India is con‑
Asian Times a Happy Republic Republic Day. vinced that solutions to
Day. Since India has become a T he Republic Day common problems fac‑
Republic in 1950, the country reminds us all about the ing the world cannot
has made enormous strides in all bedrock of modern India be found in isolation.
frontiers of human endeavor. – the fundamental values Indiaʼs deepening
However, we still have many and principles enshrined Syed Akbaruddin, engagement with the
challenges to confront. As the in the Constitution of Permanent Representative United Nations is
President of India, Shri Ram Nath India. The Constitution of India to the UN, New York based on its steadfast
Kovind, has said on this occa‑ has not only nurtured the unity in commitment to multilateralism and dia‑
sion, each one of us are pillars of diversity but has also acted as the guid‑ logue. India is also partnering with its
Indiaʼs Republic and all pillars ing light for Indiaʼs onward march friends from across the globe at the
are equally important. T he towards a just, equitable and inclusive United Nations in pursuit of common
strength of each pillar adds to society. It has also shaped Indiaʼs global goals. I congratulate Managing
the strength of the Republic. engagement with the rest of the world Editor Mr. Parveen Chopra and his
look forward to working very bridge to the Community.
The Indian community based which is based on enlightened princi‑ entire team for their commendable
closely with you to bring the
in United States is a strong pillar ples of equality, mutual benefit, respect work in fostering friendship and under‑
Indian Consulate close to you. I Long Live the Republic!
of the Republic. It has con‑ for territorial integrity, non‑interfer‑ standing between India and the USA. I
believe that the Consulate is part
tributed significantly in the ence in internal af fairs and peaceful also extend to them and the readers of
of the Community and there Sandeep Chakravorty
development of India as well as coexistence. The South Asian Times my warm greet‑
should be strong bonds tying us Consul General of India,
in enriching India‑US ties. You 2017 has been a year of significant ings on the Republic Day and best wish‑
together. I commend the role of New York
are the pride of our nation and I achievements for Indian diplomacy, es for the year ahead.
The South Asian Times of being a January 29, 2018

Interview by Surekha Vijh

Washington: Richard Verma, the

first Indian‑American to become
the US ambassador to India
(2015‑2017) is very upbeat about
the India‑US relationship and its
future. Currently, Vice Chairman of
The Asia Group, the SFS
Centennial Fellow at the
Georgetown Universityʼs Walsh
School of Foreign Service and a
National Security Fellow at the
Center for American Progressʼ
India‑US Task Force, he considers
India and US as natural allies.
“A stronger US‑India partnership
is one of the common ground, on
which the Trump administration,
the Obama administration, and
Republicans and Democrats in
Congress agree upon,”
Ambassador Verma told The South
Asian Times.
During his two‑year tenure as
the 25th US Ambassador to India,
Verma said he experienced a sig‑
nificant resurgence in U.S‑India
relations with important gains
made in defense, trade and clean
energy ties. During his tenure as
ambassador, he said, there were
nine meetings and three summits
between President Obama and
Prime Minister Modi, leading to
over 100 new initiatives and more
than 40 government to govern‑
ment dialogues.
Ambassador Verma who worked
with Prime Minister Modi and
President Obama who appointed
him, will now help support
Georgetownʼs India Initiative, a sig‑
nature program to advance
research and teaching around
India, world affairs and the US. He
India & US are natural allies
said, “If you are an Indian
Congress party member, you will
credit Prime Minister Singh for
really reaching out to the US in
many ways. If youʼre a BJP mem‑
ber, you will credit Prime Minister
Modi for really deepening the rela‑
tionship.”
Verma also enjoyed working
with Sushma Swaraj, Indiaʼs for‑
eign minister, "who has played an
instrumental role in developing
India‑US relations.”
Verma said there was something
powerful about having 4 million
Americans of South Asian / Indian
descent who have acted as a natu‑
ral bridge between the two
nations. When governments were
stuck, they helped. He felt that the
worldʼs two largest constitutional
democracies were unique and
quoted President Eisenhower, who
spoke before the Indian parliament
in 1959:
“We Americans have, with you, a
special community of interest. You
and we from our first days have
sought, by national policy, the
expansion of democracy. You and
we, peoples of many strains and
races speaking many languages,
worshipping in many ways, have
each achieved national strength
out of diversity. And you and we
never boast that ours is the only
way. We are conscious of our
weaknesses and our failings. We
both seek the improvement and
betterment of all our citizens by
‐Ambassador Richard Verma
assuring that the state will serve,
not master, its own.”
Verma said India and the US
were held together with these
shared values “even through the
toughest of times.”
He continues, “We (in the US
administration) also were quite
clear that it was in our collective
strategic interests for India to be
strong and prosperous. Prime
Minister Modi reminded members
of US Congress of that in his joint
address in the summer of 2016.”
On the issue of skill‑based visas,
Verma said the US Embassy in
India issued about 1.1 million visas
last year, and only about 60,000
were H1‑B visas. “This is a very
small group of people that are
coming over.”
Son of immigrants from
Jalandhar in India, Verma said he
felt enormous sense of pride when
he visited his parentsʼ hometown
in Punjab during his visit to India.
He takes pride in talking about the
journey of his parents who moved
from a bloody partition, to resettle‑
ment, education, and finally immi‑
gration to the United States in
search of a better life for their kids.
Says he, “They struggled, they
encountered discrimination and
doubts, and yes, life was hard. But
over time, they were also wel‑
comed here and they
both became natu‑
ralized citizens,
contributing so
much to their com‑
munity as educators,
as active citizens,”
Vermaʼs parents came
to the US in the
1960s. They
were
very
proud
of their
Indian
roots,
he says,
Appointed by President Obama, Richard Rahul Verma
adding.
became the first Indian American to serve as
“Their US ambassador to India (2015‑17).
story is
a classic immigrant story. Itʼs what to make sure that their voices are
has made us that beacon on the heard. The only reason my parents
hill for tens of millions of people were successful, and our family
from around the world for over was able to persevere, was because
two centuries – it is why we have of their hard work – and because
thrived. of a lot of friends (teachers, coach‑
“We are immigrants to this coun‑ es, neighbors and mentors) helped
try… Itʼs a diverse group of people us along the way. So, I think thatʼs
from all over the world, who have another way to stay in the public
come together basically wanting a life for me.”
better future and opportunity for He asks people to do whatever
their kids.” they can for the society. “One does‑
Verma said as an immigrant, he nʼt always have to be an ambassa‑
has a special obligation to the peo‑ dor, Secretary of State or member
ple who have come to this country of Congress – but one could have
and are perhaps struggling. “I want an impact in a lot of other ways.”
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018
 18 February 3-9, 2018 DEVELOPMENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

November 8, 2016 the prime minis‑

By Ravi Shankar Prasad
E-possibilities
at no cost. Citizens can get new
mobile connections, open bank
accounts or avail government serv‑
ices based on Aadhaar‑based e‑KYC
in a paperless manner.
Digital India has been a driver of
good governance, epitomizing the
Savings of around 10 per cent have
been observed in the procurements
made on GeM. The World Bank is
studying Indiaʼs innovation in pub‑
lic procurement.
Common Service Centres (CSCs)
have been galvanized into becom‑
cated in 64 towns across 23
states/Union Territories, including
four in the Northeast. This will not
only uplift the employment ecosys‑
tem in small towns but will also
help in reducing migration to cities.
India
ter delivered a big blow to the black
economy by announcing the
demonetisation of high value cur‑
rency notes. The move also gave a
huge boost to digital payments.
Such payments bring transparen‑
cy and accountability in the econo‑
my. Prices have fallen and tax col‑
lections have risen. Indiaʼs unique
innovations in the field of digital
payments such as BHIM, UPI
(Unified Payments Interface), USSD
(Unstructured Supplementary

D
igital India is a flagship pro‑
gram of the Narendra Modi
government to empower
India and Indians using technology.
More significantly, it is a transfor‑
mational initiative incorporating
the spirit of “sabka saath” to create
a new India by ensuring “sabka
vikas”.
Digital India aims to bridge the
gap between the digital haves and
have‑nots. Digital India BRIDGE
(Bringing Revolution In Digital
Governance and Economy) channel‑
izes initiatives like Aadhaar, eSign,
digital lockers, Aadhaar Pay and
BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money)
to of fer citizen‑centric services at
marginal costs ̶ or zero cost. The
trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and
mobile (JAM) uses more than 116
crore Aadhaar cards, 118 crore
mobile phones, including 40 crore
smart phones, 110 crore bank
accounts, including 29 crore Jan
Dhan accounts, to bring about inclu‑
sive development.
The Narendra Modi government
has been able to tap the true poten‑
tial of the Aadhaar platform and use
it to transform the lives of the poor,
and strengthen digital governance.
The use of Aadhaar enables nearly
3 crore e‑authentications everyday
governmentʼs credo of “Minimum
Government, Maximum
Governance”. Direct Benefit
Transfer (DBT) is an example of
that. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi had
famously said that of the Rs 100
released by the Centre, only Rs 15
reaches the beneficiary. Welfare
schemes had to pass through layers
of bureaucracy at the Centre and
states, as well as at the district,
block and panchayat levels. Their
implementation would get delayed
by months and involved administra‑
tive overheads. The Modi govern‑
ment not only releases Rs 1,000 but
ensures that the entire amount
reaches the beneficiaryʼs account
instantly. Direct transfers of cook‑
ing gas subsidies (PAHAL), ration
subsidies ̶ through the public dis‑
tribution system ̶ MGNREGA
wages, scholarships and many other
entitlements have ensured trans‑
parency and also saved Rs 57,000
crore of public money. DBT has
been extended to over 316 schemes
of 51 ministries leading to the
transfer of Rs 2.16 lakh crore as
benefits to the common man in the
last three years.
Government eMarketplace (GeM)
is another example of this regimeʼs
commitment to removing corrup‑
tion and ensuring good governance.
ing agents of rural
transformation.
About 83,000 CSCs
were operational in
May 2014. Today
such service centres
number 2.59
lakh. T hese
CSCs deliver
over 300
services.
Women, trib‑
al people and
Dalits have used CSCs to become
digital entrepreneurs, transforming
their own lives and the lives of oth‑
ers in the process. These CSC own‑
ers have collectively earned over Rs
1,800 crore for the various services
they have rendered. The monthly
income of several CSC owners is in
excess of Rs 1 lakh. Over 10 lakh
persons are employed, formally and
informally by the CSCs. Digital liter‑
acy initiatives are further helping in
bridging the digital divide. Under
the new Pradhan Mantri Gramin
Digital Saksharta Abhiyan
(PMGDISHA) program, another six
crore adults are to be made digitally
literate in the next two years.
The Rural BPO scheme is another
initiative to take the IT industry to
smaller towns and cities. More than
19,000 BPO seats have been allo‑
Service Data) and Aadhaar Pay have
of fered af fordable digital pay‑
ment solutions to people. Steep
growth has been registered in
digital transactions in
the last six months.
UPI/BHIM transactions
have increased to 3.31
lakh transactions per
day from near zero.
Digital wallet transac‑
tions have doubled, and
debit card payments
DIGITAL (Rupay) have increased four‑fold.
Hundreds of villages and townships
TECHNOLOGIES ARE across the country have become
BEING HARNESSED IN completely digital payment enabled
in a very short span of time. The
BY THE MODI government is targeting 2,500
GOVERNMENT TO crore digital payment transactions
EMPOWER PEOPLE, this year. According to a Boston
Consultancy Group‑Google study,
CREATE EMPLOYMENT India is poised to become a 500 bil‑
OPPORTUNITIES AND lion dollar digital payments market
by 2020.
BRING ABOUT
TRANSPARENCY.
The writer
is Union
had a very high cash to GDP ratio. minister for
Unaccounted cash was one of the Law and
main reasons for corruption, black Justice,
economy, funding of terrorism and Electronics
Naxalism, electoral malpractices and IT.
and market distortions. On

2018
is looking
to be an
exciting year for space
exploration for India.
India's 2nd
ISRO is set to launch
its Chandrayaan 2
lunar mission in
March. It is India's
moon shot set
second such mission
after the Chandrayaan‑
1 launched in 2008,
for March
which was primarily a
lunar orbite. Space Centre on Sriharikota Island.
Chandrayaan 2 will be According to ISRO, this mission
launched using a will use and test various new tech‑
Geosynchronous
Satellite Launch WHERE nologies and conduct new experi‑
ments. The wheeled rover will
Vehicle (GSLV Mk II) which includes a CHANDRAYAAN‐1 move on the lunar surface and
lunar orbiter, lander, and rover, all made in
India.
WAS PRIMARILY will perform an on‑site chemi‑
cal analysis. The data will be relayed to
It has been four years since any country A LUNAR Earth through the Chandrayaan‑2 orbiter.
attempted a lunar mission. In 2013, China
successfully landed the unmanned ʻYutuʼ
ORBITER, landing and The orbiter will stay in orbit around the
remains functional, an impactor makes a moon at an altitude of 100 km (62 miles)
rover for a month‑long walk. And, it should CHANDRAYAAN 2 INCLUDES hard landing and is damaged or destroyed, above the surface.
be noted that the United States has been A LUNAR ORBITER, LANDER, ceasing to function after reaching the sur‑ There will be five instruments on board,
the only country to put a man on the face. three of them new and two of them
moon, with the last man on the moon AND ROVER, ALL MADE IN The Chandrayaan‑2 mission will consist improved versions of instruments flown on
being NASA astronaut Gene Cernan in INDIA. of three vehicles, an orbiter craft to hover Chandrayaan‑1. The Orbiter High‑
1972. above the moonʼs surface, a rover, and a Resolution Camera (OHRC) will conduct
Chandrayaan‑1 was a major boost to to explore the Moon. Chandrayaan‑1 lander to facilitate the landing of the rover high‑resolution observations of the land‑
India's space program, as India researched included a lunar orbiter and an impactor. safely on the moon's surface. The launch is ing site before the separation of the lander
and developed its own technology in order Unlike a lunar lander, which makes a soft will be made from the Satish Dhawan from the orbiter.
 TheSouthAsianTimes.info DEVELOPMENT February 3-9, 2018 19

India can be a standard-setter

for democracy worldwide
By Frank Islam democracies. They gave me freedom, oppor‑
I HAVE BEEN DOUBLY BLESSED BY THESE TWO tunity and, most importantly, nurtured me

I GREAT DEMOCRACIES, INDIA AND AMERICA. THEY

ndia and America have travelled some‑
what parallel paths constitutionally to
become the bulwarks of democracy that
they are. In India, the Constitution came
into effect in 1950 on January 26, over two
years after independence. In the US,
Constitution Day is observed on September
17 to commemorate the adoption of the
statute in 1787.
Both India and the US took considerable
time to draft and adopt the constitutions
that created their democratic systems of
government.
Neither the US nor the Indian constitu‑
tions are perfect documents. But, they are
crucibles for democracy providing the
frameworks for the democratic governing
process.
Fifteen amendments have been added to
the US Constitution since the original 10 so
now there are a total of 25 amendments. In
addition, the Code of Federal Regulations,
which spells out the general and permanent
rules established by the federal government,
totals more than 185,000 pages.
The Indian Constitution is the longest in
the world. At its inception, it consisted of
395 Articles arranged under 22 Parts and
eight Schedules. Today, after many amend‑
ments, it has 447 Articles arranged under
GAVE ME FREEDOM, OPPORTUNITY AND, MOST
IMPORTANTLY, NURTURED ME TO BE WHO I WANTED
TO BE AND BECOME WHAT I WANTED TO BE.
26 Parts and 12 Schedules.
Both the constitutions give citizens the
rights to vote. The right to vote in the US
has been more evolutionary. Limited rights
were specified for males and land‑owners in
the original version of the Constitution. The
right for those of color was added by the
15th amendment in 1870 and the right for
women added by the 19th amendment in
1920.
Neither country's constitution mandates
compulsory voting. The turnout in the last
general election in India in 2014 was over
66 per cent ‑‑ meaning over 530 million
Indian voters went to the polls, the largest
number in the history of the world. The
turnout in the last general election in the
United States was approximately 55.5 per
cent with a total of more than 138 million
eligible voters coming to the polls.
The turnouts in the US and India, with
those large numbers of citizens participat‑
ing without being compelled to do so, pro‑
vide lessons in democracy. They also attest
to the strength of the countries' constitu‑
tions. The US and India both commemorate
their constitutions. Constitution Day in the
United States is primarily ceremonial with
little hoopla or hullabaloo. By contrast,
Republic Day in India is a major celebration
with a huge parade and many associated
events in Delhi and other ceremonies across
the nation.
Leaders from around the world attend the
Republic Day parade. Heads of State who
have been guests of honor at the parade in
the past include Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson
Mandela, Vladimir Putin, Shinzo Abe and
Francoise Hollande.
In 2015, the paths of the US and India
crossed on Republic Day when President
Obama and Prime Minister Modi sat togeth‑
er at the parade. I had the privilege to be a
member of Obama delegation on the occa‑
sion. That is when I realized how doubly
blessed I had been by these two great
to be who I wanted to be and become what I
wanted to be. That is why my philanthropic
ventures to date have been centered on
investments to support self‑actualization in
both countries and I have established the
Frank Islam Institute for 21st Century
Citizenship to promote civic engagement
that will keep their democracies strong
through this new century.
In his famous "Tryst with Destiny" speech
delivered in 1947 upon India's independ‑
ence, Jawaharlal Nehru said: "The future
beckons to us. Whither do we go and what
shall be our endeavor? To bring freedom
and opportunity to the common man, to the
peasants and workers of India; to fight and
end poverty and ignorance and disease; to
build up a prosperous, democratic and pro‑
gressive nation, and to create social, eco‑
nomic and political institutions which will
ensure justice and fullness of life to every
man and woman."The future still beckons
India. Significant progress has been made
on the quest. Much work remains to be
done. As an Indian American, I am confident
that India is up to this task to become a
standard setter for democracy to the world.
Frank Islam is an entrepreneur, civic and
thought leader based in the Washington DC
area.

India reveals 5 surprising truths about future of tech

By Anita Balakrishnan and large, with the existing infra‑ Purchases that U.S. consumers
structure ̶ the challenges that wouldn't think twice about ̶ like

A
recent visit to India was a
stark reminder to me that
billions of people in Asia
will become more active online in
2018 as internet accessibility and
language recognition improve.
Here's what I observed.
Autonomous vehicles ain't seen
nothing yet
Traf fic in San Francisco or
Pittsburgh might be relatively
bustling by U.S. standards. But it's
nothing compared to riding in an
Indian autorickshaw. In countries
where traffic rules are more fluid,
autonomous vehicles may need to
start the artificial intelligence
process in from a fundamentally
different point of view.
In the U.S., it's possible to train a
car to learn the rules of the road,
and then refine the technology
around rare "edge cases." A car
driving in India, on the other hand,
might need to be reactive first and
learn to say, read the eye contact
of a motorcyclist to see where he
intends to go, or track the distance
have forced India to change, like
exploding population growth and
pollution, don't push on the West
as hard.
But the pressing need for change
in Asia, as well as the willingness
to demolish old infrastructure,
could present an opportunity for
India to take advantage of new
technologies like hyperloop in a
way that the New York Subway
system never could.
US tech companies should be
wary of inequality created
abroad
In India internet use is zooming. It is a better place than ever to start a Communities like Magarpatta
tech company. If USA starts to turn away engineers coming on H1B, City are built around IT companies
and talented engineers decide to start companies in India it could that largely feed the American
present serious competition for US tech. tech ecosystem. And that's created
of honking horns and warnings unplanned, from safety for school‑ discussions about inequality there.
like flashes of floodlights. children to irrigation of tree roots. While the narrative of the "coastal
If we don't invest in infrastruc‑ The water treatment, energy con‑ elite" is already entrenched in the
ture, the developing world will sumption, schooling and shopping U.S., America's tech companies are
leapfrog the West is all self‑sustaining. also the world's biggest companies
Magarpatta City, a township While North American cities like ̶ and America is far from the
within metropolitan Pune, more Toronto are experimenting with only nation wrestling with a resur‑
closely resembles something out "smart" infrastructure, what I saw gence in nationalism.
of a sci‑fi movie than a post‑colo‑ in Magarpatta City could only be Data collection can challenge
nial Asian city. It's a smart "cyber built from the ground up. Most the idea of privacy ̶ even in a
city" that leaves no detail Western cities are comfortable, by democracy
buying a cell phone or signing up
for Skype ̶ are a whole lot more
intrusive in India. That's because
of the Aadhaar ID program. It's
scanned everywhere one goes. It is
a reminder that today's computing
capabilities can make it possible
for citizens to fear a "surveillance
state".
H‑1B visa reform should be
taken seriously
India is a much dif ferent busi‑
ness environment than it was even
a year or two ago. Thanks to com‑
panies like te lecom giant Jio,
India's populat ion is coming
online and on mobile faster and
faster. And PM Modi has gone to
extreme lengths to cut down on
corruption. That means that India
is a better place than ever to start
a tech company. At the same time
many Indian engineers, hoping to
start companies in the U.S., are
being turned away.
If promising engineers do decide
to start companies in India instead
of the U.S., it could present serious
competition for U.S. technology
companies.
 22 February 3-9, 2018 INDIA NEWS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

President pitches hard for

President, PM
pay homage to
Mahatma Gandhi
PM Modi paying tributes to
Mahatma Gandhi on his death
anniversary at Raj Ghat on
January 30. (Photo: IANS)
New Delhi: President Ram Nath
Kovind and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi paid tributes to
Mahatma Gandhi on his 70th
death anniversary at his memori‑
al at Raj Ghat here. Vice President
M. Venkaiah Naidu, Defence
Minister Nirmala Sitharaman,
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat,
Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba
and Air Chief Marshal B.S.
Dhanoa were among those pres‑
ent.
A "sarva dharma prarthana
sabha" (all religion prayer meet‑
simultaneous elections
New Delhi: The Modi government called for a sus‑
tained debate for a political consensus on simulta‑
neous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assem‑
blies, which it said was needed to avoid frequent
polls that put a burden on economy and gover‑
nance, and hamper development.
The call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet
theme came in the speech of President Ram Nath
Kovind to members of both the Houses of
Parliament in his customary address at the start of
the Budget Session, his first after assuming office
in July last year.
Outlining the government's plans for the coming
financial year, Kovind also expressed the hope that
Parliament will soon pass a Bill criminalizing triple
talaq, stalled in the Rajya Sabha, which once enact‑
ed will "enable Muslim sisters and daughters to
live a life of self‑respect with courage". In a 45
minute‑long speech, the President also touched on
the subject of internal security, claiming signifi‑
cant improvement in the situation with security
forces doing a good job in the northeast, Jammu &
Kashmir & in handling Maoist insurgency.
"Citizens alive to the state of governance in the
country are concerned about the frequent elec‑
tions in one part of the country or another, which
adversely impact the economy and development.
"Frequent elections not only impose a huge bur‑
den on human resources but also impede the
development process due to the promulgation of
the model code of conduct. Therefore, a sustained
debate is required on the subject of simultaneous
elections and all political parties need to arrive at
a consensus on this issue."
Referring to the triple talaq bill, the President
said for decades, the dignity of Muslim women
President Ram Nath Kovind arrives at the
Parliament House to address both the houses
in New Delhi. (Photo: RB/IANS)
had remained captive to political cost‑benefit.
"Now the nation has an opportunity to emanci‑
pate them. My government has tabled a Bill on
triple talaq in Parliament. I hope that Parliament
will soon pass it into a law."
On internal security in the country, the
President said terrorist violence in the interiors of
Jammu and Kashmir was directly related to cross‑
border infiltration.
"With better coordination, the Army, paramili‑
tary forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police are
giving a befitting response to the perpetrators.
"There has been a reduction in incidents of
Naxal‑Maoist violence. For this, the enlightened
citizens of the region, our military, paramilitary
and police forces deserve to be congratulated. We
President's address
'disappointing': Congress
New Delhi: The Congress described President
Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting
of both Houses of Parliament as "disappoint‑
ing", saying the claims made were contrary to
the ground realities. "The President's address
was deeply disappointing and insipid... which
made claims that are contrary to the ground
realities and known facts," Congress leader
Anand Sharma told the media here.
He also said the address was meant to give
an impression that under Prime Minister
Narendra Modi all the promises that the party
made are being fulfilled.
commend all our security personnel and pay
heartfelt tribute to the martyrs."
He said the government had kept open the path
of dialogue with those who wish to shun violence
and join the mainstream while reposing faith in
the Constitution. Kovind said the government had
also sanctioned over Rs 18,000 crore for the mod‑
ernization of police forces.
The President also touched on Modi's New India
initiative and said each citizen of the country had
a role to play in "nation building".
"It is our responsibility to exhibit exemplary con‑
duct before the nation. The completion of time
bound goals towards nation building is our collec‑
tive responsibility. Attaining these goals by 2022,
when the nation celebrates the 75th year of
Independence, would not only fulfil the dream of
our freedom fighters and founding fathers but
also strengthen the foundation of New India.

Modi's humble request: Pass triple talaq Bill

ing) was held to pay tributes to
the "Father of the Nation".
Congress President Rahul
Gandhi went to Gandhi Smriti and
paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.
Former Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and UPA
Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also
paid their respects at the Raj
Ghat.
Mahatma Gandhi was assassi‑
nated on January 30, 1948. The
day is also observed as "Martyrs'
Day". The President and the
Prime Minister also paid their
tributes through tweets.
"On Martyrs' Day, we gratefully
remember Mahatma Gandhi and
the countless freedom fighters
who sacrificed their all for our
Independence," Kovind said.
"We bow to all those martyrs
who have sacrificed themselves in
service of our nation.
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi made a "humble
request" to all MPs to rise above
party politics and help the govern‑
ment pass the triple talaq Bill and
also to ensure healthy debates
during the Budget Session so that
maximum economic benefits can
reach Dalits and poor farmers
from the Budget.
Speaking to reporters outside
Parliament, Modi said the govern‑
ment had made efforts during the
Winter Session of Parliament to
fulfill the nation's "high hopes"
that there won't be any politics on
crucial issues like triple talaq Bill
that criminalizes verbal instant
divorce practiced by Muslim hus‑
bands. The legislation was stalled
in the Rajya Sabha after the Lok
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses press ahead
of the Budget Session of Parliament in New Delhi.
Sabha cleared it. He said despite
the orders of the Supreme Court,
the Bill on triple talaq could not
be passed by Parliament and
Muslim women were denied their
rights. "I hope and I make a hum‑
ble request to all political parties
across the country to join hands
in passing the triple talaq Bill to
protect the rig hts of Muslim
women. It will indeed be the best
gift of 2018, in the new year for
the Muslim women."
He said the Budget Session,
which began on Monday, was very
important also because the entire
global community was very opti‑
mistic about the Indian economy,
citing "positive opinion about the
growth of India and the road
ahead" by global credit rating
agencies, World Bank and IMF.
Modi said the Budget would
provide new energy to the fast
growing economy of India and ful‑
fil the hopes and aspirations of
the common man.
He said the Budget is a biparti‑
san practice where "the national
interest is above the political
interests".
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018

Happy
Happy Republic
Happy Diwali
Republic Day
Day
 24 February 3-9, 2018 NATIONAL COMMUNITY TheSouthAsianTimes.info

India's soft power displayed at

Film on Kailash
Satyarthi wins
top honor at
Sundance film fest
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi
flanked by the documentaryʼs
Director Derek Doneen and
producer Sarah Anthony.
Los Angeles: A film on the life of
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi
has won the US Documentary
Grand Jury Award at the
Sundance Film Festival.
The documentary, titled
'Kailash' and directed by debu‑
tante Derek Doneen, traces
Satyarthi's journey and his efforts
to eliminate child trafficking and
child labour.
The film has been produced by
Davis Guggenheim and Sarah
Anthony, and co‑produced by
Purnima Raghunath. Satyarthi
took to Twitter to share the news.
"'Kailash' is a reminder that we
will see the end of child slavery in
my lifetime. I am humbled as
'Kailash' was chosen the winner of
the US Documentary Grand Jury
Prize at Sundance Film Festival.
Congratulations to Derek and his
team," he wrote.
ʻThe Miseducation of Cameron
Postʼ, a powerful drama about the
real‑life controversial practice of
gay conversion therapy, came
away with the top prize as the
Sundance Film Festival wrapped
last Saturday.
R‑Day functions across US
Washington, DC: The Indian community in the US thousands of Indian‑Americans, whose abilities
displayed India's rich cultural diversity through and contributions strengthen Virginia's economy,
organizing dance, drama and music performances enrich Virginia's diverse culture and invigorate
across the country over the weekend to celebrate Virginia's economy."
69th Republic Day. "Indian‑Americans continue to make significant
From a small township in mid‑West or down
South to mega cities of New York, Los Angeles,
and lasting civic, cultural and economic contribu‑
tions to our nation and this region," Maryland sec‑
Chicago and Washington, Republic Day celebra‑ retary of state John C Wobensmith said address‑
tions were organized by Indian community ing a gathering at a Republic Day Celebrations
activists and organizations. organized by Indian American Community
Proclamations issued by governors and mayors Organizations of the Greater Washington Metro
to mark the occasions were read at these events Region and National Council of Asian Indian
attended by several government officials. Associations.
Asserting that Indian‑Americans play a key role Attended by a large number of people in the
in strengthening India‑US relationship, govern‑ af fluent Potomac suburb of Washington DC,
ment officials pledged to work in their capacities Indian‑Americans celebrated the Republic Day
to further enhance ties between the largest and around the theme of women empowerment.
oldest democracies of the world. Ambassador Navtej Sarna at Republic Day The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of
celebrations in Washington DC
"Our strong ties are evident from the India‑head‑ the tristate (New York, New Jersey and
quartered companies doing business in Maryland ment opportunities in the US. Connecticut), celebrated the Republic Day with its
including Tata and Infosys," said the Maryland Lt A proclamation issued by Maryland Governor annual dance competition, "Dance Pe Chance" at
Governor Boyd K Rutherford in his address to Larry Hogan was presented to the organizers. the prestigious State Theatre in New Brunswick,
Republic Day of India Banquet hosted by the New York governor Andrew M Cuomo said New Jersey. Indian ambassador to the US Navtej
National Council of Asian Indian Associations. Indian‑Americans are a "treasures component" of Sarna in his messages to all these celebrations
Listing out the name of other Indian companies his State's vast mosaic of culture. said the Indian diaspora by remaining committed
in Maryland and their expansion, Rutherford said Virginia governor Ralph Northam said, "Republic and engaged at all levels has given great depth
these companies create large number of employ‑ Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate Virginia's and resilience to India‑US relationship.
US patent office honors Undocumented ‘dreamer’
Stanford don A.J. Paulraj
Bengaluru: T he US Patent and technology field, who were inducted Parthiv Patel admitted to NJ Bar
Trademark Of fice (USPTO) has into the Hall of Fame. New Jersey: Indian‑
inducted Indian‑born Stanford "I feel humbled to be counted American attorney
University Emeritus Professor among the inventors who have Parthiv Patel, who had
Arogyaswami Joseph Paulraj into its made the modern world possible. arrived in the U.S. as an
National Inventors Hall of Fame for When I joined Stanford in 1992, I undocumented immi‑
developing wireless technology to had not worked in wireless technol‑ grant, has been admit‑
transmit and receive data at high ogy, as my prior years in India were ted to the New Jersey
speeds, the agency of the US spent on sonar systems," said Bar Association.
Department of Commerce said on Paulraj in an e‑mail to IANS from Pate l is the first
Monday. Stanford in California. Deferred Action for
The agency awarded Paulraj a The other Indian wireless pioneer Childhood Arrivals
patent in 1992 for inventing holding a patent for breakthrough (DACA) recipient to
Multiple In‑Multiple Out (MIMO), work in radio and microwave optics Parthiv Patel and NJ AG Gurbir Grewal at
have been admitted to
which enables transfer of data, was Jagdish Chandra Bose (1858‑ the swearing‑in ceremony
the New Jersey Bar
including videos through broad‑ 1937) in the 1890s. Association. DACA is an Obama their immigration status," Grewal
band and mobile technologies like Born at Pollachi in Tamil Nadu, era program that prevented illegal said at the swearing in ceremony
4G and the upcoming 5G. Paulraj joined the Indian Navy undocumented immigrants, who attended by New Jersey Governor
The Patent Of fice will formally when he was just 15 years. came to the US as children, from Phil Murphy.
induct Paulraj at a special ceremony Impressed with his academic being deported. Murphy announced that New
on May 3 in Washington. record, the Navy sent him to the U.S. President Donald Trump Jersey will join a federal lawsuit
Though the agency honored five Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) had withdrawn DACA, which against the Trump administration
other Indian‑origin scientists in the in New Delhi, where he earned a comes into ef fect in March. to stop it from dismantling the
past, Paulraj joins eight other world doctorate (PhD) for advances to sig‑ Several thousands Indian‑ program that protects undocu‑
famed inventors in the wireless nal filtering theory. Americans are likely to be affected mented immigrants raised in the
by a change in DACA policy. U.S. from deportation.

R‑Day at Nassau County
Nassau County
Executive Laura
Curran graced the
celebration of Indiaʼs
Republic Day at
Legislative Chambers
on January 26,
organized by the
countyʼs Human
Rights Commission,
chaired by Bobby
Kalotee. She is
pictured posing with
the honorees and
community leaders.
Patel, who passed the bar exams "Today I stand here with one
of both New Jersey and message: Dreamers are Americans.
Pennsylvania in 2016, was admin‑ We are fifth‑graders alongside
istered the oath of of fice by the your children in the school play.
New Jersey Attorney Gurbir We are your friends and your col‑
Grewal, the first Sikh to hold this leagues. And we are your doctors
position nationwide, on and your accountants and now in
Wednesday. "We're making it New Jersey, your lawyers," Patel
absolutely clear today that we will said.
use all of the tools of the attorney Patel was initially denied mem‑
general's of fice to protect the bership of the bar because of his
rights of 'Dreamers' like Parthiv, to immigrant status, but was later
enjoy that American dream, and to admitted following a successful
ensure the safety and well‑being appeal with the help of American
(PTI)
of all New Jerseyans regardless of Civil Liberties Union.

Aruba: T he Xavier University
School of Medicine (XUSOM) held
its 42nd White Coat Ceremony on
January 19, 2018. Thirty‑four stu‑
dents were presented with their
White Coats and took the Medical
Student Pledge of Professional
Conduct.
XUSOM President Ravishankar
Bhooplapur addressed the audience
of students, their family members,
faculty and staff at this momentous
occasion. He welcomed the first
woman Prime Minister of Aruba,
Hon. Mrs. Evelyn Wever‑Croes, and
congratulated her on her election
to lead the beautiful, happy island.
President Bhooplapur commend‑
ed the students on choosing the
right medical school and for enter‑
ing this most noble profession. He
emphasized the importance of their
studies, and assured commitment
from the most qualified faculty to
provide them with a superb educa‑
tion. He also brought to everyoneʼs
attention Xavierʼs success of a 90%
first time USMLE passing rate, and
a 70% residency rate. He thanked
Xavierʼs faculty and staff, as well as
the government of Aruba, for wel‑
coming them with open hearts. He
believes Aruba is the best island in
the Caribbean, and a wonderful
tourist dest inat ion. President
Bhooplapur stated that Xavier is a
“feather in the cap” of Aruba, in
that is has a special place on the
island. Finally, he thanked the
Drs. Khan & Torres leading team to a Puerto Rican island to help hurricane victims
New York: Over three months after
Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico is
slowly returning to normalcy with
electricity and running water with
basic medical needs being provided
by many government and not‑for‑
profit agencies. This outreach has
been described by FEMA as the
"largest federal response to a disas‑
ter" in American history. Yet, some
of the far islands off the Puerto
Rican coast are still reeling.
A team of medical professionals
from the American University of
Antigua (AUA) are now setting off
for a medical camp at Vieques, an
island off the eastern Puerto Rican
coast from February 9‑11. “Dr
Pedro Torres and I are leading this
effort, which is driven by the same
elements that made us choose this
profession ‑ empathy and a sense of
global responsibility to those in
need,” says Dr. Bilal Khan, a critical
care and emergency physician and
one of the two AUA graduates
spearheading this effort, along with
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Prime Minister of Aruba graces
Xavier's White Coat ceremony
First woman Prime Minister
of Aruba, Hon. Mrs. Evelyn
Wever‑Croes,
addressing the event.
Chair, Board of
Trustees, and
trustee Mr.
Frank Croes for
his continued
guidance in
Aruba.
Following the
Presidentʼs
address, Prime
Minister Eve lyn
Wever‑Croes, spoke.
She explained how she
wanted to attend medical school
after high school, but her only
option at the time was to go to
Costa Rica to study. While she said
that country was beautiful and her
studies went well, she missed home.
Ultimately, she came back to Aruba,
Dr. Pedro Torres. “Since Vieques is
an Island, it has been difficult to
access, which is why they are still
suffering,” Dr. Khan explained.
Dr. Khan, of South Asian origin,
now living in New York, had worked
as an EMT and then went on to AUA
2007‑2011. He completed his resi‑
dency in Internal Medicine in NJ,
Pulmonary Medicine at Norwalk
Hospital and has just completed
Critical Care Fellowship at Yale.
Dr. Khan's former classmate, Dr.
Torres, a fellow critical care and
emergency physician whose family
immigrated from Puerto Rico, says,
“As former EMTs /Paramedics and
now, we have been trained to work
in these high‑volume disaster situa‑
tions. Our years of training and
sharpening our tools give us a pas‑
sion and hope to apply them to a
greater purpose ‑ not simply anoth‑
er millennial supporting a cause."
“We expect 2,000 families, and
plan to serve approximately 8,000
people,” says Dr. Khan.
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
At the White Coat ceremony, 34 students took the Medical Student Pledge of Professional Conduct.
Xavier President Bhooplapur
presenting a gift to Prime
Minister Wever‑Croes
as a token of gratitude.
where her father decided she would
study law. Mrs. Wever‑Croes was
excited when Xavier first came to
The team, consisting of medical
and non‑medical personnel, mostly
AUA alumni, plans to charter a boat
to take them along with the sup‑
plies to Vieques. The team has
arranged with a local not‑for profit
organization, A la Mano Por Puerto
Rico, in coordinating the logistics of
the camp.
February 3-9, 2018
Xavier President Ravishankar
Bhooplapur addressing
the audience.
Aruba, as her dream of a medical
school on the island had come true.
She assured continued support for
Xavier, and appreciated that the
school awarded an Aruban student
25
a scholarship. She concluded by
congratulating the students on
receiving their White Coats.
Xavier authorities say they are
fortunate and grateful that the
countryʼs Prime Minister was her‑
self in attendance at such a special
event.
Xavier University School of
Medicine has received accreditation
from two accredit ing bo dies:
CAAM‑HP (Caribbean Accreditation
Authority for Educat ion in
Medicine and other Health
Professions), and ACCM
(Accreditat ion Commission on
Colleges of Medicine). It offers spe‑
cial scholarships for Aruban stu‑
dents as well as provincial loans for
Canadian students and loan pro‑
grams for U.S. citizens and green
card holders.
The medical team
is going Feb 9‑11
to Vieques, an
island off the
eastern Puerto
Rican coast, which
being difficult to
reach is still
reeling.
(Photo : NPR)

Trump is open to
citizenship for
'Dreamers', with
conditions
Washington: President Trump
has said he is open to a path to
citizenship for hundreds of thou‑
sands of undocumented immi‑
grants known as "Dreamers" if
Congress agrees to fund his pro‑
posed wall on the Mexican bor‑
der. In exchange for creating a
path to citizenship for the young
undocumented migrants brought
to the US as children, Trump
wants Congress to approve $30
billion in funding for border
security, including $25 billion for
building a wall along the US‑
Mexico border.
Trump told reporters at the
White House last Wednesday
that if lawmakers in Congress
cannot reach an agreement for
the 800,000 Dreamers, he could
extend the deadline for ending
the Deferred Action for
Childhood Arrivals (DACA) pro‑
gram protecting them from
deportation beyond March 5.
Trump said he would allow
"Dreamers" to "morph into" citi‑
zens over a period of time, the
New York Times reported.
"It's going to happen ‑‑ over a
period of 10 to 12 years. If some‑
body's done a great job and
worked hard," the President said
before departing for the World
Economic Forum in Davos.
However, the President tweet‑
ed that "if there is no Wall, there
is no DACA". He told reporters
that the wall could be less than
the $25 billion he was requesting
since it would run for some 800
miles along the border, rather
than along the entire 1,989‑mile
frontier. Trump issued the
Twitter warning about the wall
one day after Senate Minority
Leader Chuck Schumer withdrew
his offer to provide funds for
building the barrier.
In September, Trump ended the
Obama‑era's DACA program, say‑
ing it was an illegal assertion of
executive authority by his prede‑
cessor. But even as the
President's actions threatened
young immigrants with deporta‑
tion, he has urged Congress to
find a permanent solution that
could allow them to live and
work in the country legally.
26 February 3-9, 2018 US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trump defends his America
First policy at Davos
Davos: President Donald Trump last eye".
Friday said he would maintain his T he US leader told the world
policy of putting "America First" in leaders in his address that "America
international trade but acknowl‑ is open for business and is competi‑
edged that it was not a policy of iso‑ tive again".
lationism as he touted his economic "T he world is witnessing the
agenda to the worlds business and
political elite.
resurgence of a strong and prosper‑
ous America. There has never been
His speech was the most antici‑
pated event of the Davos forum
a better time to hire, to build, to
invest and to grow in the United
after he won the election by railing
against "globalism" and free trade,
States. America is open for busi‑
ness," he said.
pledges that rattled leaders around
the world.
During his speech, Trump sought
to keep the focus on the economy.
Trump used parts of his speech at As he was talking, the figures for
the World Economic Forum (WEF) US economic growth were released,
in the Swiss alpine resort of Davos showing growth of 2.6 per cent in
President Donald Trump delivers a speech to the World Economic
to assuage such fears. Forum, Jan. 26 in Davos. (Photo courtesy AP) the fourth quarter of last year ‑‑ but
"As President of the US I will it falls short of the President's 3 per
always put America first," he said. practices. trade if some countries exploit the cent target for that period.
"But America first does not mean He also took a veiled swipe at system at the expense of others," he The President said 2.4 million
America alone. W hen the US China for its alleged theft of intel‑ said. "We support free trade, but it jobs have been created since he
grows, so does the world." lectual property and practice of needs to be fair and it needs to be was elected in November 2016
Trump launched a fierce attack forcing US companies to turn over reciprocal." "and that number is going up sub‑
on "predatory" trade practices, their intellectual property to do He said these "predatory prac‑ stantially," citing companies like
warning trading partners here that business there. tices were distorting markets and Apple that have pledged to move
Washington will not tolerate unfair "We cannot have free and open the US will no longer turn a blind jobs to the US.
Nikki Haley condemns Congressional Democrats
seek to protect Mueller
rumors about her as 'highly from being fired
offensive, disgusting' Washington: US Senate Democrats have demanded that
lawmakers act to protect special counsel Robert Mueller
United Nations: US ambassador to UN after revelations that President Trump sought to oust him
Nikki Haley has condemned as "highly last year from overseeing the probe into Russian meddling
of fensive" and "disgusting" rumors in the 2016 presidential election.
spread about her personal life by oppo‑ Several Democrats and one Republican last Friday called
nents of President Trump that highlight for votes on Senate legislation that would prevent presi‑
the ugly underside of American politics. dents from firing special counsels unless a panel of three
She told Politico that rumors of her judges agreed with the move, citing the revelations that
having an affair with the President were Trump came close to pushing out Mueller last June, the
"absolutely not true." Washington Post reported.
The rumors illustrate a persistent prob‑ The President backed off only after White House Counsel
lem of US politics where character assas‑ Donald F. McGahn threatened to quit, according to two peo‑
sination is used especially against women ple familiar with the episode.
and minorities by the entire political Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat
spectrum ‑‑ and not just the Republicans. in the Senate, said the report detailing an effort by Trump
The former South Carolina Governor is to fire Mueller in June demonstrated the urgency for
an inviting target for attacks by Trump's Congress to act.
opponents as she is both a woman and an US ambassador to UN Nikki Haley "The most important thing Congress can do right now is
Indian‑American and has been the victim to ensure that Special Counsel Mueller's investigation con‑
of such campaigns in the past. that discriminating readers would be able tinues uninterrupted and unimpeded," Schumer said.
"Every time this has happened, it only to determine the President's paramour by "No one ‑‑ whether it be administration of ficials,
makes me fight harder," she declared in giving his book a close reading. Republicans or the President himself ‑‑ should get in the
the interview with Politico that was pub‑ Politico said: "Readers quickly homed in way and undermine the investigation."
lished on Friday. on a single sentence" in the book where Democratic Senator Mark Warner said that Congress
Politico reported that she said author Wolf f writes "The president had been should now pass the legislation to protect the special coun‑
Michael Wolff's "insinuation is similar to spending a notable amount of private sel, urging his Republican and Democratic colleagues to
other attacks that she and other success‑ time with Haley on Air Force One and work out any differences in approach to make it happen.
ful women have faced when they've been was seen to be grooming her for a nation‑ Even as some Republicans have tried to discredit the
forced to swat down suggestions they've al political future." Russia inquiry, a few senior members of the party said that
slept their way to the top." "I have literally been on Air Force One they would not support the firing of Mueller.
Politico attributed the online specula‑ once and there were several people in the A spokesman for Speaker Paul Ryan said that Ryan's
tion about her and Trump to Wolff, who room when I was there," Haley told position had not changed since he said in June that Mueller
recently published "Fire and Fury", a book Politico, referring to a flight from should be left alone to do his job.
critical of Trump and claiming to give the Washington to Long Island in late July. And a spokesman for Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the
inside story of the White House. "He (Wolf) says that I've been talking a No. 2 Republican in the Senate, said that Cornyn still
Wolf "dropped hints on HBO's 'Real lot with the President in the Oval (Office) believed that it would be a "mistake" to fire the special
Time with Bill Maher' last week when he about my political future. I've never counsel.
said he was "absolutely sure" Trump is talked once to the President about my Trump denied on Friday that he had ordered the firing
having an af fair. Wolf f went on to say future and I am never alone with him." and called reports of the episode "fake news".
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018

Locations in New York:

East Meadow Hicksville Poughkeepsie
Flushing Manhattan Scarsdale
Forest Hills New Hyde Park Valley Stream
 28 February 3-9, 2018 INTERNATIONAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Thanks to influential diaspora, world

3 Indian-origin CEOs
among business
leaders who dined
with Trump at Davos
Washington: President Donald
Trump's dinner with a European
business delegation in Davos on
the sidelines of the World
Economic Forum meeting was
attended by three Indian‑origin
CEOs. T hey included Vas
Narasimhan from Novartis,
Rajeev Suri from Nokia and Punit
Renjen from Deloitte.
Vas Narasimhan was named
Novartis CEO in September 2017.
Singaporean citizen Rajeev Suri is
now based in Finland. He is a stu‑
dent of Manipal Institute of
Technology. Rohtak‑born Punit
Renjen has been CEO of Deloitt
since June 2015. Donald Trump,
in all, had invited 15 top
European CEOs to discuss busi‑
ness and encourage them to
invest in the US as part of his
ef forts to strengthen the
American economy. During the
dinner, he spoke about the thriv‑
ing US economy ‑‑ crediting his
tax policies, deregulation and his
role as a cheerleader for
American business. The American
delegation was attended by
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,
Homeland Security Secretary
Kirstjen Nielson, National
Security Advisor H R McMaster
and Dire of the National
Economic Council Gary Cohen.
leaders converge on Golden Temple
Chandigarh: When Canada's young
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vis‑
its the Golden Temple complex,
which is home to the holiest of Sikh
shrines, next month, he will carry a
political message to a big con‑
stituency back home.
With a big Punjabi, especially
Sikh, population settled in countries
like Canada, Britain and the United
States, a visit to the temple by lead‑
ers from these countries is becom‑
ing a must on their travel itinerain
India.
Trudeau is not the first top
Canadian leader to visit the shrine.
Earlier, then Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harper visited the
Golden Temple in November 2009.
He offered prayers and spent near‑
ly an hour inside the complex.
Harper deviated from his itinerary
to make sure he visited Amritsar.
Harper followed it up with a visit
Educating girls a collective responsibility, says Malala at Davos
Davos: Nobel Peace Prize laureate
and social activist Malala
Yousafzai on Thursday stressed
collective responsibility to pro‑
mote the education of young girls
across the globe while addressing
a session during the annual World
Economic Forum here.
Speaking at the session titled
"An Insight, An Idea with Malala
Yousafzai", the 20‑year‑old
activist admitted that the fight for
female education is not a single
person's job.
"Not one person will be able to
do this. I (alone) can't send all
girls to schools. What I can do is
send as many girls as possible. I
try to reach out to as many girls
Harmandir Sahib (Image courtesy: youtube.com)
to Takht Keshg arh Sahib at
Anandpur Sahib, the second‑most
important shrine for Sikh religion
and the birth place of the Khalsa
Panth (April 1699; founded by the
10th Sikh master, Guru Gobind
Singh), in November 2012.
Premiers (equivalent to a Chief
Minister) of Canadian provinces of
British Columbia and Ontario, fed‑
as possible." "It is also important
to remind everyone that they can
all play a role in this struggle.
This is a responsibility we should
all realise," she said.
Youzafzai, who won the Nobel
Peace Prize when she was 17,
eral ministers, Members of
Parliament (MPs) and other leaders
have visited Sikh shrines in Punjab
in the past. The Canadian govern‑
ment has recognized Punjabi an
official language.
Prime Minister David Cameron
became the first British Prime
Minister to visit the Golden Temple
in February 2013.
Malala
Yousafzai
speaking
at Davos
summit
making her the youngest Nobel
laureate to date, began her fight
for equality at the age of 11,
resisting the fundamentalist
Taliban's prohibition of local girls
going to school.
She said: "Imagine how many
In October 1997, the British
monarch, Queen Elizabeth, and her
husband, Prince Phillip, visited the
Golden Temple.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan visited
the shrine as recently as December
2017. Ken Livingstone visited the
shrine in November 2007 when he
was the London Mayor.
US President Barack Obama came
close to visiting the Golden Temple
in October 2010 during his visit to
India. His proposed visit ran into a
controversy over the headgear he
would wear to enter the shrine.
Afghanistan President Ashraf
Ghani had visited the Golden
Temple in December 2016 along
with PM Narendra Modi.
Modi became the first Prime
Minister to serve devotees "langar"
(community food) at the Golden
Temple.
(IANS)
girls we lose daily? Recently, I
went to Lebanon and I met female
Syrian refugees. I asked the girls
what they what to become when
they grow up, one of the girls said
she wants to be an architect. I
asked her, 'why do you want to be
an architect'. She replied that
when she was leaving Syria, she
saw so much destruction and dev‑
astation she decided that she will
rebuild her country once she goes
back."
Youzafzai added: "You have to
speak out for those girls. They are
a resource for their community. If
we don't raise our voices then
these girls will never be able to
have a voice or rights."

SUBCONTINENT

IS CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY Well within rights to build

FOR KABUL ATTACK
Kabul: The Islamic State (IS) terror
group on Monday claimed responsibility
for the suicide attack on an army base
that left nine persons dead and 10
injured in the Afghan capital here.
A statement released via the IS‑linked
Amaq news agency said the IS militants
detonated their suicide vests after
exchanging gunfire with the Afghan
security forces, describing the attack as
"Inghimasi."
Inghimasis are radicals assigned to
fight deep into their target's frontlines
and blow up their explosive belts after‑
wards, Efe news reported.
Earlier on Monday, Afghan Defence
Ministry spokesperson Dawlat Waziri
told Efe the attack on the army battalion,
stationed near the Marshal Fahim
Military Academy in western Kabul,
began around 5 a.m.
Waziri said that two extremists deto‑
nated their suicide vests, while another
two died in a gunfire exchange with the
security forces, and a fifth was captured
alive.
Waziri added that five soldiers were
killed amid the clashes and 10 wounded,
who were transferred to a military hos‑
pital.
Monday's suicide attack comes just
after Saturday's ambulance bomb attack
here that left 103 dead and more than
200 wounded. The ambulance attack
came a week after a previous assault on
civilians at the Intercontinental Hotel
here killing more than 20 persons,
including 14 foreigners.
facility in Doklam: China
Beijing: China on Monday said it is building
military infrastructure in Doklam because
the region falls under its jurisdiction.
Beijing was reacting to an interview by
India's envoy Gautam Bambawale to Global
Times in which he said it was essential for
both sides not to alter the status quo at sen‑
sitive points along their border.
Bambawale was apparently referring to
Doklam where the armies of the two nations
were locked in an over two‑month dispute
last year, triggered after India halted road
construction by the Chinese army.
T he armies retreated in August from
Doklam. "Indeed, we have noted that the
Indian Ambassador talked on the border
issues. The Sikkim section of China‑India has
been demarcated by the historical treaty and
it is under the effective jurisdiction of China.
And China will uphold its sovereignty along
the border area, including Dong Lang,"
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua
Chunying said here.
Despite the crisis being resolved, some
satellite images showed that China has built
massive military infrastructure in Doklam.
"You said the images show military buildup
by both sides. I should stress that it falls
under China's sovereignty that we conduct
the facility building in Dong Lang (Doklam)
area. And some media carried out reports,
saying about military buildup and infrastruc‑
ture building in the area. They are very excit‑
ed about it.
"I should say the two sides should look at
our border issue in a calm way, and resolve
relevant issues with our existing border
related mechanism so that we can create a
good and enabling environment to properly
solve our differences."

Johannesburg: India bowled out
South Africa for 177 runs in their
second innings on fourth and
penultimate day to claim a con‑
solatory 63‑run win in the third
and final cricket Test.
Chasing 241 on a difficult pitch
to bat, the hosts were going
strong after Dean Elgar (86 not
out) and Hashim Amla (52) put
up an 119‑run second‑wicket
stand before they were separated
few overs before tea.
Since that dismissal of Amla,
South Africa lost eight wickets
Current fiscal growth at
6.75%, next at 7‑7.5%
New Delhi: India's Economic
Survey for 2017‑18 has pegged
the country's growth at 6.75 per
cent for the current fiscal and 7 to
7.5 per cent for 2018‑19.
"A series of major reforms
undertaken over the past year will
allow real GDP growth to reach
6.75 per cent this fiscal and will
rise to 7.0 to 7.5 percent in 2018‑
19, thereby re‑instating India as
the world's fastest growing major
economy," the Survey said here.
The Survey, tabled in parliament
by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley,
also said the reform measures
undertaken in 2017‑18 can be
strengthened further in 2018‑19.
The Survey underlined that the
economy began to accelerate in
the second half of the year and
can clock 6.75 per cent growth
this fiscal due to the launch of
transformational Goods and
Services Tax reform on July 1,
2017 and resolution of the long‑
festering Twin Balance Sheet
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
India earn consolation win in third Test
for 53 runs even though Elgar
carried his bat through at the
New Wanderers Stadium. Apart
from the duo, only Vernon
Philander (10) managed to reach
a two‑digit score, as South Africa
could not win the series 3‑0.
Seamer Mohammed Shami
wiped away the South African
tail‑ender to finish with a figure
of 5/28, while Jasprit Bumrah
(2/31) and Ishant Sharma (2/57).
They bowled well even when
Elgar and Amla were resolute
and batted with patience as the
hosts resumed the day's play at
17/1 after the match of ficials
overnight decided to continue
with the match which was sus‑
pended before scheduled close as
the condition of the pitch was
discussed on Friday.
The beginning of the fourth
day was delayed by an hour due
Swiss ace
Roger
Federer
wins his
20th Grand
Slam.
problem by sending the major
stressed companies for resolution
under the new Indian Bankruptcy
Code.
It also said implementing a
major recapitalization package to
strengthen the public sector
banks, further liberalization of
foreign direct investment and the
export uplift from the global
recovery had played a major role
in boosting the growth.
The Survey, however, pointed
out that as per the quarterly esti‑
mates there was a reversal of the
declining trend of GDP growth in
the second quarter of 2017‑18,
led by the industry sector.
It said that India can be rated as
among the best performing
economies in the world as the
average growth during last three
years is around 4 percentage
points higher than global growth
and nearly 3 percentage points
higher than that of emerging mar‑
ket and developing economies.
SPORTS
Team India celebrates victory against South Africa.
to a wet outfield following rain.
Elgar and Amla fended of f the
Indian bowlers, who operated
with probing line and length.
ROGER FEDERER RETAINS
AUSTRALIAN OPEN CROWN
Melbourne: Sw iss ace Roger
Federer defended his Australian
Open crown by gett ing past
Croatian Marin Cilic 6‑2, 6‑7, 6‑3,
3‑6, 6‑1 in a rip‑roaring men's sin‑
gles final here on Sunday.
This is the 20th Grand Slam title
of Federer's career.
Federer looked in control in the
first set but Cilic fought back to
BUSINESS
US Inc. urges Jaitley to reduce tax uncertainty for MNCs
Washington/New Delhi: Ahead of
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's last
full Union Budget, the US‑India
Business Council (USIBC) has urged
him to further reduce tax uncer‑
tainty for multinational companies
and foreign investors, even as
Indian industry has voiced its own
areas of concern.
In a memorandum submitted to
Jaitley, the USIBC has said that
such measures would help improve
the country's investment climate
and attract more foreign direct
investment to India.
"A significant posit ive step
toward improving the investment
climate would be to further reduce
tax uncertainty for multinational
companies and inst itut ional
investors in India," said USIBC
President Nisha Desai Biswal, who
was Assistant Secretary of State for
South and Central Asian Affairs in
the Obama administration.
"Tax uncertainty results in an
increase of risk when investing in
any given project drives investors
to either withhold investments or
require a higher rate of return to
account for this risk, thus raising
February 3-9, 2018
Both the batsmen showed a lot of
courage and patience, backing
their defensive technique to the
hilt. T hat belief got stronger
win the second which lasted for
an hour.
Federer restored his lead in the
third set before Cilic made it 2‑2
with a superb win in the fourth.
At 36, but showing no signs of
tiredness, Federer underlined his
world class abilities to triumph in
the final set and put daylight
between him and the Croat.
US‑India Business Council
President Nisha Desai Biswal.
the cost of capital in the uncertain
market," she said.
The USIBC said India needs to
create a more stable and pre‑
dictable fiscal regime and address
retrospective taxation and legacy
cases that remain open.
"USIBC members believe that
unless resolved, the lack of clarity
in the government's approach to
taxat ion risk w ill undermine
progress in other areas of the econ‑
omy and will continue to damage
India's reputat ion among
investors," the memorandum said.
Continued lack of predictability
in some Indian tax policies stands
as a "major deterrent" for global
capital, dampening the ef fects of
29
when Ishant broke skipper Faf
du Plessis (2) defence with an in‑
cutter four overs into the final
session.
The win saw Federer join an
elite list where only three players
in the history of the sport have
won 20 or more Grand Slam titles
‑ Steffi Graf (22), Serena Williams
(23) and Margaret Court (24).
The victory also put Federer
alongside Novak Djokovic and Roy
Emerson with six Australian Open
titles apiece.
any policy and regulatory reforms
made to encourage this capital, it
added.
The USIBC also said India must
ensure that transfer pricing princi‑
ples are applied in a fair and con‑
sistent manner for all taxpayers, as
well as allow a reasonable method
for determining transfer pricing
comparables that support fees on
services performed in India for
non‑Indian af filiated entities and
match the nature of the company's
services performed.
"To facilitate cross‑border trade
and investment without the barrier
of double taxat ion, the
Governments of India and the US
should reaf firm the shared com‑
mitment to improving tax dispute
resolution.
British consulting multinational
Deloitte's Indian arm said in New
Delhi that the forthcoming Budget
is expected to "address the key
challenges facing the economy".
"The government is likely to give
special attention on alleviating the
stress that has built up in the rural
economy while also pushing infra‑
structural projects.

Playback doyenne Asha
Bhosle will be the 5th
recipient of the award
(Image courtesy: odishatv.in)
Asha Bhosle to
get Yash Chopra
memorial award
B
ollywood playback
doyenne Asha Bhosle will
be given the 'Yash Chopra
Memorial Award.'
She will be the fifth winner of
the award. Previous recipients
are Asha Bhosale's elder sister
and Bollywood playback singer
Lata Mangeshkar, and actors
Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, and
Shah Rukh Khan.
Evergreen Asha Bhosle has
been giving playback in Hindi
films for nearly seven decades,
earning her an entry into the
Guinness World Records for
recording over 11,000 songs in
20 different languages.
The jury comprising late film‑
maker Yash Chopra's wife
Pamela Chopra, filmmaker Boney
Kapoor, singer Alka Yagnik,
actress Padmini Kohlapure, direc‑
tor Madhur Bhandarkar, script
writer Honey Irani, and Anu and
Shashi Ranjan came together for
a press conference to announce
the winner. "This is a very presti‑
gious award. It is given to the
(one of the) pillars of our indus‑
try. This is the 5th year and the
jury decided it is high time we
acknowledge Ashaji's contribu‑
tion to the Indian cinema," said
Alka Yagnik.
Bonney Kapoor, who has been
closely associated with Asha
Bhosle, said: "My association with
Ashaji has been since childhood ‑
‑ she sang songs for my father's
films, for my films. Besides, we
have always had very good rela‑
tions. I think it is befitting that
she receives this prestigious
award." The award will be pre‑
sented to Asha Bhosle on
February 16. The award has been
instituted by the TSR Foundation
of T. Subbarami Reddy in memo‑
ry of producer‑director Yash
Chopra, who died in 2012.
30 February 3-9, 2018
Padmaavat: Epic movie, stands
tall among great films of all time
F
or my money there is no
contemporary filmmak‑
er with the vision and
ve lo city of Sanjay Lee la
Bhansali. T he man makes
every frame in his cinema
seem like a wondrous timeless
work of art.
As in all his films there are
visuals in Padmaavat that will
be remembered for all times to
come. And this is as opportune
a t ime as any to salute
Bhansali's cinematographer
Sudeep Chatterjee who is a
magician, visionary par excel‑
lence who can put on screen
images that poets and painters put
into their creations when at the
acme of inspiration.
Almost every moment in the
story that Bhansali tells of the
royal Queen Padmavati and the
Islamic invader who lusts after
her, is pure magic.
The mesmerizing mise en scene
hooks you from the word go when
in a spellbinding introduction, the
Queen on a hunting trip manages
to wound Raja Ratan Singh, in
more than one.
Love‑struck and besotted Shahid
Kapoor's Ratan Singh makes it
very clear that he would do any‑
thing in his power to protect the
beauty and sanctity of the woman
he falls in love with and marries.
Palace intrigue is always a high‑
point in Bhansali's operatic dra‑
mas. In Bajirao Mastani we saw
Deepika Padukone as the royal
queen who ends up being the sec‑
ond wife of a neighboring empire.
O
scar voters tilted
toward a new
Hollywood era, giving
first‑time nominations to at
least 35 people, inviting Netflix
into the club, recognizing a
woman in the cinematography
category for the first time and
bypassing actors and films taint‑
ed by sexual harassment allega‑
tions.
“The Shape of Water,” a mod‑
estly budgeted fantasy about a
mute janitor who falls in love
with an imprisoned sea crea‑
ture, became the yearʼs most
decorated movie, receiving 13
nominations, including for best
picture and Guillermo del Toroʼs
directing.
But the contentious revenge
drama “Three Billboards
Outside Ebbing, Missouri” also
emerged as a very strong con‑
tender, receiving seven Oscar
nominations in a broad array of
categories, including best pic‑
ture. The war epic “Dunkirk”
received eight nominations,
BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info
FILM REVIEW By Subhash K Jha
Starring: a very long time. I am
Ranveer Singh, afraid Shahid
Deepika Kapoor as
Padukone, Shahid Padmavati's hus‑
Kapoor, Aditi Rao, band seems a
Jim Sarbh little shaky in
his attempts to
Directed by
c o u n t e r
Sanjay Leela
Ranveer's psy‑
Bhansali
chotic Khilji with
Rating: 5 stars regal restraint.
Shahid internalizes
his character's struggles
to an extent where he looks
(Image courtesy: koimoi.com)
bored at times.
A similar fate awaits Deepika in tentous potency to their conflict. But there is no dearth of bravura
Padmaavat. Without coming face‑to‑face the act ing in Padmaavat. W hile
While the conflict between the two actors convey an almost‑ Ranveer and Deepika as antago‑
two wives in Bajirao Mastani was unbearable dramatic tension. nists rip the screen part, two other
conspicuously contoured, in The climax with all of the Rani's actors Jim Serbh and Aditi Rao
Padmaavat Deepika's Padmavati female entourage fighting off the shine in smaller roles bringing to
barely manages to interact with advances of Khilji by hurling hot their part as Khilji's manipulative
her husband's first wife (played by coal bricks on him, is a reverber‑ toy‑boy and idealist ic w ife, a
Anupriya Goenka). ant homage to Ketan Mehta's strong sense of a back‑history that
It is Padmavati's conflict with Mirch Masala. belies the length of their roles.
her invader and intended violator Remember Naseruddin Shah's Padmaavat is a work of illim‑
Allauddin Khilji which occupies moustache‑twirling subedaar in itable splendor. The 3D format
center‑stage in this rigorous Mehta's film lusting after the seems quite an unnecessary
drama of resonant historicity. feisty Sonbai (Smita Pat il)? grandeur‑enhancement device.
On many occasions the histori‑ Bhansali's Padmavat i echoes When we already have so much to
cal facts are tampered with for the Sonbai with heartening whoops of savor and imbibe why hanker for
sake of edifying the essential con‑ joy. Indeed this is a film that pays more? This is a film so inured in
flict between the Queen and her a homage to the greatest filmmak‑ irridance and so steeped in splen‑
invader. ers of the country Raj Kapoor and dor you will come away from the
Deepika Padukone and Ranveer K. Asif and succeeds in going experience exhilarated and satiat‑
Singh bring an exquisite operatic beyond the vision of these two ed. This is a movie so epic in pro‑
duet‑like feeling to their parts. filmmakers. portion it stands tall among the
Though they sing the same song The sequences at the end of the great films of all time about love
from different scales,they are like film featuring Deepika Padukone and war. In Bhansali we have our
the earth and sky never destined and a bevy of women all wearing own David Lean. Padmaavat
to meet. Bhansali imparts a por‑ flaming‑red, will stay with you for proves it. (IANS)
Woman,” all of which cam‑
Oscar Nominations 2018 paigned for votes and were
completely shut out.
Frances McDormand, a four‑
ʻThe Shape of Waterʼ time nominee and a winner for
“Fargo” in 1997, was nominated
leads the race
for her lead performance in
“Three Billboards.” Joining her
were Ms. Ronan, Sally Hawkins
many of them in technical Rounding out the category (“The Shape of Water”), Margot
categories, although it were “Call Me by Your Robbie (“I, Tonya”) and Meryl
also will compete in the Name,” “Darkest Hour,” Streep (“The Post”). It was
best picture race. The “Get Out,” “Lady Bird,” Streepʼs 21st nomination.
Academy of Motion “Phantom Thread” and Gary Oldmanʼs performance
Picture Arts and Sciences “The Post.” as Winston Churchill in
allows the best picture cat‑ The nominations “Darkest Hour” landed him a
egory to have as many as meant the end of best actor nod. He was joined in
10 or as few as five the road for the category by the newcomers
nominees, hopefuls like Daniel Kaluuya and Timothée
depending on “Detroit,” Chalamet (“Call Me by Your
how the organi‑ “Battle of the Name”), Daniel Day‑Lewis
zationʼs 8,400 Sexes,” (“Phantom Thread”) and the
members “Downsizing,” nine‑time nominee Denzel
spread their sup‑ “Wind River” Washington (“Roman J. Israel,
port. This time and “Wonder Esq.”).
around nine
movies were (Image (Source: nytimes.com)
nominated, the courtesy:
same as last year. nme.com)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018
 32 February 3-9, 2018 LEGAL COLUMN TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Everything you wanted to know about H-1B Visa

cal year for the H‑1B1 program for year period can be “re‑captured”. al effective date for new visas, had
applicants from Chile and Many employers have noticed to be sent back home.
Singapore. This is part of the U.S.‑ that the USCIS is disputing or The stricter rules on granting an

By Michael Phulwani, Esq. &
Dev B. Viswanath, Esq.
Chile and U.S.‑Singapore free trade
agreements. Unused visas from
this group are then available for H‑
1B use for the next fiscal year.
Currently since there is a high
demand for limited number of H1B
visas, petitions are selected by
USCIS through a computer gener‑
ated random selection. There are
TALK
year before applying for another
H‑1B visa. Any dependents of H‑1B
visa holders ‑‑ spouse and children
under the age of 21 ‑‑ may be eligi‑
ble for an H‑4 visa. An H‑4 visa
questioning an unusually large
number of H‑1B visa applications,
whether they be fresh application
or even with what seem to be
straightforward renewals. An
increased number of applications
are not being approved and
instead USCIS is requesting more
evidence to support the Form I‑
H‑1B visa correspond with
President Trumpʼs promises and
threats for more rigorous screen‑
ing of all immigrants.
Many employers are now unsure
if they can continue to rely on the
H‑1B visa program and this has in
turn forced immigration attorneys
and their clients to consider alter‑

T
he H‑1B visa program
allows employers in
America States to employ
foreign employees in specialty
occupations. A specialty occupa‑
tion is defined as the theoretical
and practical use of a body of
highly specialized knowledge. An
employee is required to have a
bachelorʼs degree or higher in the
specific occupation. Some possible
examples of specialty occupations
include engineering, mathematics,
medicine and health, law, account‑
ing, theology, and business special‑
ties. An H‑1B visa holder is strictly
limited to work for the sponsoring
employer. Congress has mandated
an annual cap of 65,000 for H‑1B
visas and another 20,000 for those
with a US masterʼs or higher
degree. Out of the 65,000 cap,
6,800 visas are set aside each fis‑
narrow categories of particular
jobs areas whereby H1B fresh
applications can be exempt from
the cap and can be applied for
freely with the expectation and
knowledge that at the very least
the petition will not be rejected
outright for lack of visa numbers.
If a foreign national employee
quits or is discharged from
employment by the sponsoring
employer, the employee must
either apply for and be granted a
change of status, find another
employer, or leave the United
States. Under H1B category, indi‑
viduals may live and work in the
country for up to three years, and
then apply for an extension for an
additional three years. H‑1B visa
holders wanting to continue to
work in the US after six years must
leave the country for at least one
holder may stay in the US as long
as the H‑1B visa holder maintains
lawful status. They are allowed to
attend school, apply for a driverʼs
license, and open a bank account.
An employee with an H‑1B visa
may travel outside the U.S. but
they must have a valid visa
stamped in their passport in order
to re‑enter.
H1B is a dual intent visa, which
means that a beneficiary may
come in for a temporary job and
yet have the intention to remain in
the US permanently. Thus an H1B
holder may also initiate the
process of getting a green card or
Lawful Permanent Residence. Once
the permanent residence process
is initiated, there may be opportu‑
nities to extend the H1B past the
allowed 6 years. And time not
used on H1B work within the a 6‑
129. According to statistics from native options if a beneficiaryʼs
USCIS, in 2017 there was a 44 % H1B is not picked in the lottery or
spurt in the number of “requests denied by USCIS. The cap‑subject
for evidence” (RFEs) sent to appli‑ H1B visas can be initially applied
cants. This is the highest number for as early as April 1st for the
of RFEs since 2009. Many appli‑ earliest possible start date of the
cants whose cases had not been following October 1st, 6 months
resolved by October 1st, the annu‑ later.
Dev Banad Viswanath is the Principal
Attorney of The Banad Law Offices PC in the
United States, and Banad Immigration in
India for which Attorney Michael Phulwani is
also affiliated as Of Counsel. With Offices in
Manhattan, Queens, Bangalore, and Mumbai,
the firm is able to assist clients with all facets
of the immigration process, including
Employment Visas, Consular Visa Assistance,
Student Visas, Removal & Deportation, US
Citizenship and Green Card Applications
based on Family or Employment. Dev B.
Viswanath can be reached at
Dev@Banadlaw.com and 718‑361‑5999.

MY PATH TO BECOMING AN ARTIST

By Mahendra Shah

W
hen I was in the 10th
grade, in the Gujarati lit‑
erature class, we stud‑
ied Saraswatichandra, an 4‑volume
epic by Govardharam Tripathi. The
story is about love, wealth, busi‑
ness, and family. Once a week our
teacher, who was also our princi‑
pal, taught one chapter at a time.
He narrated the story in such a
lively fashion that you felt as if the
entire scene was being played out
right in front of you.
Growing up, I was shy and some‑
what reserved. I was a back‑
bencher and avoided answering
questions. I would often wander
off into my own thoughts. One day,
the teacher began reading that part
of the story in which
Saraswatichandra was going to
meet his fiancee in another village.
He was walking through a wooded
forest and ran into a poisonous
snake. As I was listening to the
story unfold, my mind began to
wander. I began to doodle in my
notebook, at first somewhat aim‑
lessly, but then, the teacherʼs words
grabbed my attention. As he began
describing the poisonous snake
and how it crept closer and closer
to Saraswatichandra, I started
imagining and drawing the whole
scene. All of the other students
were mesmerized by the teacherʼs
reading of the story. They were
frozen in their seats in anticipation
of what was to come next. The
room was still except for me. My
Shah was in school when he first sketched an episode from
the story of Saraswatichandra. And thereby hangs a tale.
eyes were glued to my notebook as
my fingers were busy doodling and
drawing out the scene that the
teacher was narrating.
Suddenly, the teacherʼs eyes set
on me and he noticed that unlike
other students, my attention was
not fully on him. He stood up from
his chair and gazed at me with a
stern look. I was so scared! I was
certain I was in for big trouble. He
called me to his desk. As I rose
from my chair, he demanded,
“Bring your notebook too. I want to
see what is so important that it
drew you away from my lesson.” I
approached the teacher with my
notebook and was terrified of what
would come next. He opened my
notebook to the page full of my
doodles. As he looked closer and
closer at those doodles, his face
stiffened. I grew more afraid of my
fate. To my great surprise, when he
finally began to talk, he showed the
entire class my sketches based on
the story. He praised my drawings
and said that they were the best
narration of the story! I felt such a
sense of relief. Not only was I not
in trouble, but from that day on, I
was known as the “Resident Artist”
of the school. I was commissioned
to execute all art related projects
(posters, banners, etc.) for school
events.
After I completed my education, I
got married and immigrated to the
United States. The responsibilities
that came along with work and
family pushed my art on the back
burner, but you could always find
me doodling or sketching in my
spare time. Our children had grown
and started lives of their own.
Many years ago my daughter and
son‑in‑law were visiting us. They
had just moved to a city only a cou‑
ple of hours away from us. When I
returned from work in the evening,
I was surprised to find my daugh‑
ter exploring my art portfolio. It
had been sitting in the attic for
years, and I had nearly forgotten
about it. In fact, we were preparing
to move to a new house, and it was
meant to go in the unwanted trash
pile! My daughter asked if it would
be all right for her to take a few
pieces of my artwork with her. “Of
course, be my guest!” I answered. “I
was going to throw those away any
way.” A few weeks later, we went to
visit them at their new apartment.
To my surprise when we entered
the house I saw a few of my paint‑
ings and drawings framed and
hanging nicely on the walls. I was
so touched. It felt wonderful to
have my art appreciated again
after so many years. My daughterʼs
simple act of appreciating my for‑
gotten paintings inspired me to
return to my childhood passion of
being an artist.
The author
contributes a
weekly
cartoon to
The South
Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018
 34 February 3-9, 2018 HUMOR TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Funny Side by Nury Vittachi

Mythical medicines that I am

I
hate it when I want to sneak out of work
early, but invisibility pills have not yet
been invented.
Science moves soooo sloooowly. It's nearly
2018! Sci‑fi stories promised us that technol‑
ogy would bring us flying cars; instead it has
broug ht us "Press 7 For Even More
Maddeningly Irrelevant Choices".
I was moaning about this when a reader
informed me that one group of people is seri‑
ous about making fict ion into reality.
Officials in Uttarakhand, India, are investing
cash into finding sanjeevani booti, the magic
herb from the Ramayana which the god
Hanuman uses to raise Lakshmana from the
dead.
What a great idea. I asked readers and col‑
leagues: What other potions from literature
could governments turn into reality?
The first response came from an over‑edu‑
cated workmate, who said that ancient Greek
literature had two medicines, Nepenthe and
the Waters of Lethe, which made those who
drank it forget their sorrows.
Bleeaaah. (That's me making the Wrong
Answer Noise from TV quiz shows.) Reject!
impatient to try
Modern society already has many magic
potions which do exactly that, including
Carlsberg, Kingfisher, Bud Light, etc.
T hen he suggested the e lixir in
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, which puts
you in a death‑like coma. Bleeaaah. Reject
again! We already spend most of our days in
death‑like comas.
So I handed the question to the Internet's
Hive Mind and it concluded that authors in
general are shockingly lazy. Fiction is full of
disappointingly vague potions that instantly
heal any type of wound, including Athelas
elixir from Lord of the Rings, Dittany potion
from Harry Potter, Chamalla extract from
Battlestar Galactica, the Senzu Bean from
Japan's Dragonball stories and so on.
In fact we found only four literary potions
which were a bit more creative ‑‑ and possi‑
bly worth turning into reality.
1) Dried Frog Pills: From Terry Pratchett's
Discworld stories, these make you hallucinate
that you are sane. This would help pretty
much all world leaders at the moment, the
hope being that they would behave like sensi‑
ble people for a change.
2) Extract of Phoenix Feathers: From
Japan's Final Fantasy stories, this not only re‑
animates the dead but turns zombies back
into humans. I know some people say there's
no such thing as zombies, but clearly they've
never met modern teenagers.
3) Blinkmoth Serum: From Magic: The
Gathering, this gives you extreme intelli‑
gence, self‑awareness, and understanding,
making you a person of great wisdom. (This
is not to be confused with drinks such as
Prosecco and arrack, which make you think
you have become a person of great wisdom.)
Problem: Everyone I mentioned this to
declared that they would rather be stupid all
their lives than eat a moth. Good point.
4) The Spice Melange: This stuff from the
Dune stories makes your senses super‑sharp
and gives the whites of your eyes a strange
blue glow. This would be useful to hide the
red, blood‑shot eyes I'm going to have later
this afternoon. "Barman, bring me your
biggest jug of the Waters of Lethe." Cheers!
But of course I have to wait until those lazy
scientists invent invisibility pills so I can
sneak out of work. Come on, guys!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

BEST
RATE
FOR
INDIA
AND
PAKISTAN

New York Head Quarter

422‑S Broadway
HICKSVILLE
NY 11801
by Mahendra Shah
516‑827‑1010
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.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018

Happy Republic Day Opening Soon In

Richmond Hill, NY

3rd February, 2018
Traits in you: As your governing planet is
Jupiter, you are intelligent, dignified, dy‑
namic, simple, ambitious, and optimistic. You
are very whimsical towards your work. How‑
ever, you need to eradicate few negative
characteristics such as jealousy, rude, irre‑
sponsibility.
Health this year: You will be going through a
not so very good health this year around.
You might need to take proper care of your
health by frequently visiting your doctor for
medical checkups. You need to adhere to the
medications prescribed by the doctors for
your betterment.
Finance this year: You may be in a very good
financial groove this year as you will find
profit everywhere you go for investment.
You may start few new ventures if you are
into hardcore business. You might have to
take few important decisions to go for the
opportunities provided. You may invest on
real estate and stocks this year.
Career this year: If you are a very keen learn‑
er, then you may get the chance to prove
yourself at a higher level. You will enhance
your skills and impress your employer to get
better professional benefits. You may get a
good performance appraisal or a promotion,
which will encourage you to work even hard.
Romance this year: If you are yet to be in a
marital relationship, there is a healthy
chance for you to get into one. Your roman‑
tic life may take a leap this year if you are
married. You should not get involved in any
kind of confrontation or argument with your
beloved as it may weaken your relationship.
4th February, 2018
Traits in you: With the influence of Uranus,
you are born active and lucky. By nature you
are dynamic, reliable, honorable, dignified,
enthusiastic, decisive, and very cooperative.
However, you need to work on your stub‑
bornness and frequent mood swings.
36 February 3-9, 2018
By Dr Prem Kumar Sharma
Delhi, India: +91-11- 2644 9898, 2648 9899; Chandigarh, India: +91-172- 256 2832, 257 2874;
Annual Predictions: For those born in this week (FEBruary 3-9, 2018)
Health this year: You would not remain sat‑
isfied as far your health is concerned as mi‑
nor illness may disturb you throughout this
year. To avoid these health issues, you need
to take care of your health by taking healthy
food and medicines at time. You may go for
yoga and meditation.
Finance this year: You will be among ample
financial benefits throughout this year. You
will find new source of income and it will
bring you lot of money and scope to expand
your business. You may try your hands in
various investment plans as you may get
enough returns due to your favoring star
movement.
Career this year: You are destined to get
plenty of good fortune and fame. Your dedi‑
cation towards your work and efficiency
may bring you exceptional success. You may
get promoted to a managerial position and
that will of course result in a handsome hike
in your salary.
Romance this year: You may get into matri‑
monial alliance towards the last few months
of the year. If you are married, you will enjoy
a blissful romantic relationship with your
partner. You should plan for surprise outings
to make your relationship grow stronger.
5th February, 2018
Traits in you: As your ruling planet is the
Mercury, you are born realistic, intelligent,
simple, focused, caring, determined, and
courageous. As you are very helpful, people
trust you very soon and you enjoy a good im‑
pression in your friendʼs circle. However, you
need to work on your stubbornness and jeal‑
ousy to become a better individual.
Health this year: Your health may remain the
same as it was during the last year. You may
improve a bit with medication and diet con‑
trol. You may practice meditation and yoga
for better results. Do not neglect the health
of your family members as well as they may
fall ill frequently this year and you may re‑
main bothered for the same.
Finance this year: You may find yourself in
financial benefits. However, you need to take
enough toil to make this happen. You may go
for various new proposals and assignments,
which would improve your income and pros‑
perity. There may be a huge rise in expens‑
es, but you will be able to meet those with
your increased earnings.
Career this year: You will be successful in
every project you take up this year. You may
be adjudged the best employee by your high‑
ASTROLOGY
psharma@premastrologer.com; www.premastrologer.com
er management because of your efficiency,
hard work, and timely delivery. You may
need to negotiate with different types of cus‑
tomer and learn a lot about handling a proj‑
ect independently.
Romance this year: Your marital relationship
will move on smoothly. If you are yet to mar‑
ry, you may fall into a romantic relationship
this year. You may get into a marital alliance
if you are already into a relationship. You
will be leading a blissful romantic life with
your spouse or partner with lots of love, care,
and concern.
6th February, 2018
Traits in you: As you are ruled by Venus, you
are simple, generous, cheerful, friendly, hum‑
ble, honest and peace loving. You are pretty
interested to stay in harmony with each and
everyone in your surroundings. You need to
work on your nature of being restless and
pessimistic.
Health this year: Your health would be mod‑
erate this time. You may not have the privi‑
lege to take the diet of your wish as the doc‑
tor would prescribe to avoid that. You may
practice yoga and meditation along with
your prescribed medicines for better results.
Finance this year: Your expectations for fi‑
nancial gains may not convert to reality as
you have to spend a moderate financial life
this year. Do not invest huge amount on any‑
thing as you may go in loss. You should wait
for the right time to invest on anything. You
should not lend money to anyone as it may
create financial crisis for yourself.
Career this year: As far as your professional
life is concerned, you are expected to get a
lot of opportunities throughout this year.
However, you have to work hard and effi‑
ciently to convert those opportunities. Being
a quick decision maker, you may have to de‑
cide on many critical matters in your profes‑
sional circle.
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.
7th February, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Neptune
makes you intelligent, adaptable, charming,
independent, humble, decisive, courteous,
and courageous. Along with many positive
characters, you also have few negatives. You
need to work on your carefree and dominat‑
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
ing attitude towards others to get respect
and attention in your friend circle.
Health this year: You need to take an appro‑
priate care of your health. You may fall sick
in the middle months of the year though
those will not be serious. If you are a
sportsperson, you need to be very careful for
your diet and nutrition to perform better in
your sporting events.
Finance this year: You will be financially
profited from you long term past invest‑
ments. Your legal issues will be solved to
give you a huge amount of money. You may
end up spending a lot of money on your fam‑
ily members this year though you will earn a
handsome amount. You may go for invest‑
ments to get benefited in future.
Career this year: Professionally, you are a
very smart and efficient worker. So you may
need to clarify doubts and help you peers
and juniors in their work. People in your pro‑
fessional circuit will seek your help at every
crucial situation. You may get promoted as a
result of your spectacular performance
throughout the year. You may be assigned a
new responsibility this year. You may go for
a job change as well as there will be plenty
of opportunities available.
Romance this year: You will be spending a
peaceful and content life with your beloved.
During the last few months of the year, you
may have few misunderstandings, which can
be cleared and sorted out if you both sit and
try to listen each other.
8th February, 2018
Traits in you: The influence of the planet Sat‑
urn makes you creative, realistic, helpful,
thoughtful, enthusiastic, and optimistic. You
should take care of your impatience and jeal‑
ousy to excel as an individual.
Health this year: You may fall sick often this
year if you do not take required preventive
measures. You should see your doctor once
a month to check your health conditions and
supplements if required. You should also
take care of the health of your family mem‑
bers by providing them medical attention.
Finance this year: You may prosper finan‑
cially with the opportunity to earn as much
as possible with new sources of income. You
may go for long distance business trips if
you want success in your business. Be aware
of fraud investment agencies as you may end
up losing a huge amount of money. You are
advised not to lend money this year.
Career this year: Your hard work, dedication,
and efforts in your work will get reflected in
your professional hierarchy as you may go a
step further towards your promotion. You
will be admired by your peers and seniors
this year for your performance and decision
making capabilities. Treat your ordinates re‑
spectfully and try to help them in difficult
situation as it would help you in getting a
better appraisal towards the end of the year.
Romance this year: Your relationship with
your partner may reach to new heights this
year as your love, trust, care and concern will
develop towards your beloved. You may get
married towards the end of this year if you
are yet to marry.
9th February, 2018
Traits in you: Your ruling planet Mars makes
you strong, determined, courageous, enthu‑
siastic, intelligent, ambitious, and motivated.
You have a strong dislike towards fake peo‑
ple and fake emotions. You are a huge fan of
truth and cleanliness. You need to work on
your nature of showing dictatorship and be‑
ing rude and stubborn at times.
Health this year: As far as your health is con‑
cerned this year, you may not remain
healthy throughout the year. There will be
few hiccups in your health as you may suffer
from many minor diseases. If you want to
stay healthy, you should go for proper med‑
ication and a healthy diet plan. You have to
leave consuming alcohol and smoking ciga‑
rettes.
Finance this year: You may go through sud‑
den gains and losses this year. However, you
will be capable enough to find out the source
to earn ample amount of money. Your finan‑
cial condition will be improved for a long
term. If you are into business, you may en‑
hance your business to gain better profits.
You should invest in real estate this year as
the chances of return are high.
Career this year: You will face huge chal‑
lenges in your professional field this year.
There will be a lot of changes in your pro‑
fessional life. You may remain disturbed
about your profession. You may go for a new
job change as you would find the current
work disgusting and monotonous.
Romance this year: You will enjoy an im‑
proved life with your partner with lot of love,
care, and concern. You should give time to
your spouse or partner. If you are not mar‑
ried, you might have to wait as the move‑
ment of your planets does not suggest a mar‑
ital alliance this year.

Stars Foretell: February 3-9, 2018

ARIES: Medical problems besetting you are like‑
ly to disappear. At work, you may
start out confidently, but peter
out midway, so get intimately
involved in what you do.
Satisfactory showing on the aca‑
demic front may not be enough, so
put in more efforts. Showdown with a parent or
a family member appears imminent, so take
steps to dif fuse the situation. Your love for
travel may soon find you travelling with your
near & dear ones. You remain financially stable.
TAURUS: There are some matters that you
should rather not touch at work this
week, as things can get complicat‑
ed. You are likely to begin the
process of righting all your
wrongs committed previously on
the academic front.
Those looking for a suitable job are likely to find
one. You will manage your time well and meet all
your close friends. If love is what is on your
mind, expect romance to come knocking at your
door!
GEMINI: You may not be fully prepared to face
a current situation, but will handle
it admirably. Taking the help of a
financial advisor is likely to help
you save much more, than what
you would have with your own
ef forts. Those in the services will
soon find something to rejoice on both the
career and financial fronts. Thorough prepara‑
tion and masterly execution is foretold on the
academic front, so go full speed ahead! Health
remains satisfactory.
CANCER: Someone may want you to hold his
or her hand, so go out of your
way to do so. You may find
things improving both on the
personal and professional
fronts. A love‑hate relationship
that you are enduring may end, only
if you start calling a spade a spade and take
your stand where you think you are right.
Academic achievement comes your way, as
you leave no stone unturned to give your best.
Health remains satisfactory.

LEO : There are a few people who recognise your
true potential, so donʼt worry on
that score. Meticulous perform‑
ance at work is likely to bring you
into the notice of those who mat‑
ter. Your academic showing is like‑
ly to keep your head high, thanks to
your good luck and thorough preparation.
Someoneʼs advice may work wonders for coming
back in shape. A budding office romance may
become a reality for some. Starting a fitness regi‑
men is possible.
VIRGO: Your suspicious nature may do more
harm than good, so curb it.
Remaining prepared on the aca‑
demic front will be in your inter‑
est. Stif f competition at work
threatens to push you into the back‑
ground, if you donʼt pull up your socks.
Parent or a family elder may require a sympathet‑
ic ear, so give them time. Think what you promise
on the romantic front, so that you donʼt get cor‑
nered! Investing in dubious scheme must be
avoided.
LIBRA: This is the right time to approach some‑
one influential on the academic
front for you‑know‑what! Love life
of those feeling stagnated in a
relationship is set to improve.
Emotional contentment is what you
seek and emotional contentment is
what you will get, but through some ef forts.
Burning the midnight oil is important, if you want
to do well on the academic front. Donʼt take too
many liberties on the health front as you can get
afflicted with some ailment.
SCORPIO: Your efforts are likely to bring posi‑
tive results on the professional
front. This is the time to plan out
your future for settling down in
matrimonial bliss. Your foresight
and excellent planning will find
the cash registers ringing. Rising
clout on the professional front will get you to
rub shoulders with the whoʼs who of the city.
Efforts to remain socially well connected will
succeed. Something refreshing is likely to hap‑
pen to your love life, so hold your breath!

SAGITTARIUS: You will need to see a new ven‑
ture taken up by you to comple‑
tion. There is a bright chance of
some of you going in for acquir‑
ing property. You will manage to
make good time in a journey,
despite delays and interruptions.
Choosing to keep aside time exclusively for love
promises to strengthen romantic bonds.
Organising something at home or taking some‑
one out is foreseen. Pending issues at work are
likely to receive your attention this week.
CAPRICORN: A new development can give you
sleepless nights, but things will turn
out favourable. You can plan a busi‑
ness expansion as you are now in a
position to hire the best. Earning
money will not be a problem, but
enhancing it can pose difficulties for
those working on commission basis. Although you
may not admit, you do secretly admire someone,
whom you generally dislike on the social front.
There will not be enough time to be with lover this
week. .
AQUARIUS : The current situation you find your‑
self in may require some quick
thinking. Those involved in a proj‑
ect will give a good account of
themselves. Faring well in an exam
or a competition is a foregone con‑
clusion on the academic front. You may
not be able to devote as much time as you want to
with family.
Someoneʼs unusual interest in you may perplex
you, but it will be romance calling! Prepare well to
make a journey comfortable.
PISCES: When you do good to someone, good‑
ness is what you get in return. So,
expect some goodness to come
your way in the form of happi‑
ness! Your achievements at work
will come into the notice of those
who matter. A journey may not only
prove enjoyable, but may help find future soul
mate for the eligible! Those aspiring for higher
studies may get their chance. Health conscious‑
ness that has dawned upon you is set to benefit
you immensely.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018

By Sant Rajinder Singh
Ji Maharaj
D uring the t ime of Guru
Gobind Singh, there was a
great rishi who gave up every‑
thing to go to a forest to meditate.
There was also a king who had
already conquered many other
territories and their people. One
day, the king set his ambition on
conquering the rishi to make him
obey his commands. People
thought it was strange that the
king would focus on conquering a
rishi who had no property, king‑
dom, or wealth. But it turned out
that the rishi had previously been
a king before giving up his king‑
dom for the spiritual life. This
made the present king have an
obsession with wanting to con‑
quer the rishi. So the king gath‑
ered his entire army to prepare
for battle.
The army marched into the deep
forest. The army finally reached
the rishi, who was sitting in the
woods, deep in meditation.
The king waited for the rishi to
come out of meditation, but he
kept on sitting there. Finally, the
king became restless and shook
the rishi out of meditation.
The king shouted, “Prepare for a
fight. I have come to do battle
with you.”
The rishi surveyed the scene
calmly. He saw the great army and
said, “Fight! I ran away from my
worldly life for fear of my one
great enemy. I came here to hide
in the woods from this enemy. My
soul shudders in fear when I hear
the sound of my enemyʼs name.
Just to think of this enemyʼs name
causes my heart to quiver.”
The king listened carefully as
the rishi continued to describe his
feared enemy. Finally, the king
became angry and shouted, “Is
your enemy stronger than me?”
The rishi replied, “Even the
38 February 3-9, 2018
This article has been selected and reprinted from Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj’s book,
Spiritual Pearls for Enlightened Living (Radiance Publishers) an inspirational
collection of stories from the world’s great wisdom traditions.
The Strongest Enemy
thought of this enemy destroys
my soul. I le ft every thing to
escape from this enemy.”
The king said, “Tell me the name
of this enemy of yours.”
The rishi said, “There is no use
in telling you who it is. You will
never be able to conquer him.”
The king replied, “If I cannot
conquer him, I w ill consider
myself a failure.”
The rishi then told him, “This
great enemy of whom I am speak‑
ing is the mind.”
From that day on, the king tried
everything to overcome the mind.
He tried all kinds of techniques to
gain control over his own mind.
Years passed and still he could not
conquer the mind. Finally, the
king had to admit that he had
failed and that the mind is truly
the strongest enemy.
The mind is powerful and will
try every means possible to gain
control over our soul. Many yogis
and rishis have tried to gain con‑
trol over their minds but failed. If
such is the fate of those who have
given up the world to conquer
their own mind, then what is the
ate of the rest of us who are
immersed in the world?
The mind is the obstacle our
soul must deal with to return to
God. The mind is like a soccer
goalie, guarding the goal. It will
try everything to keep the ball
from reaching the goal. If even
devoted rishis had trouble over‑
By Sant Rajinder Singh Ji
Maharaj
M ost people are trying to
fulfill their desires. We
might have a desire to buy a car;
we might have a desire to buy a
house; we might have a desire
to study history or the sciences,
or we might desire any objects
of this world. Our emphasis is on
being able to fulfill those de‑
sires.
Life goes on in a way in which
we are always trying to fulfill
one desire after another after
another. What happens is that
desires do not end. When one is
fulfilled, then we have another
desire. As we try to fulfill that
one, then we have another de‑
sire, then another. Life just
keeps on passing by. We are
searching for happiness all over
the world.Little do we realize
that the true wealth,true happi‑
ness,and true love are waiting
within us.We think that happi‑
ness is outside ourselves.We
think it lies in wealth,name and
fame,possessions and relation‑
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS
coming the mind, how can we do
it?
The fact is that we cannot con‑
quer the mind on our own. The
only way to conquer the mind and
still it is through the help of some‑
one who has conquered the mind.
Such enlightened beings give us a
lift to contact the Light and Sound
within us. The Light and Sound
help uplift our soul beyond the
realm of mind.
The rishi found that doing spiri‑
tual practices alone in the jungle
did not help him overcome the
mind. The mind still tempted him
with the countless desires of the
world.
The mind knows that contact
with the soul will render it harm‑
less. Thus, the mind will find all
kinds of excuses to keep us from
meditation. It will make us think
of the past. It will make us think
of the future. It will make us wig‑
gle around instead of sitting still.
It will make us feel sleepy just
when we sit to meditate. It will
make us feel hungry. It will make
us feel jealous. It will make us feel
depressed. It will make us feel like
doing work instead of meditating.
It will find a million excuses.
How do we overcome the mindʼs
tendencies to distract us? We
must use the tendency of the mind
to form positive habits. The mind
likes habits. If we tell our mind
that we need to sit for meditation
each day at the same time and
Finding fulfillment
in this world
We are searching for happiness all over the
world.Little do we realize that the true
wealth,truehappiness,and true love are
waiting within us.We think that happiness is
outside ourselves.We think it lies in wealth,
name and fame,possessions and relationships.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The mind is the obsta‑
cle our soul must deal
place, a habit will form. Soon we
will find ourselves compelled to with to return to God.
sit for meditation at that time T he mind is like a
each day. If will miss meditation, soccer goalie, guard‑
we will start to feel like something
is amiss. Soon we will find our‑
ing the goal. It will try
selves meditating regularly. everything to keep
When we learn to concentrate the ball from reaching
fully, wholly, and solely into the
the goal. If even
Light and Sound, we will experi‑
ence bliss, peace, and joy.
devoted rishis had
We will want to repeat medita‑ trouble overcoming
tion again and again because of the mind, how can we
the wonderful experience we
receive.
do it?
ships.
Since our human system is set
up to focus on fulfilling our de‑
sires, what is needed is the right
kind of desire. First, we need to
choose a goal. And the right goal
is to choose God, to have the
merger of our soul in the
Lord.God lies within us.God's
love is within.There is nothing in
the outer world that can com‑
pare to that. We spend our pre‑
cious life breaths pursuing the
fulfillment of our every wish in
the worldly sphere.
In the end we find that none of
those wishes brings us the hap‑
piness, love, and contentment
we really want.Instead of seek‑
ing the true treasures outside
ourselves ,we should sit in medi‑
tation and find the true wealth
within. If we would stick to be‑
ing conscious of our true self, as
soul, we would find more love
and happiness than we can have
from the fulfillment of any de‑
sire in the world. Then we will
find our lives filled with
love,bliss,and eternal peace and
happiness.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018
TheSouthAsianTimes.info REPUBLIC DAY SPECIAL February 3-9, 2018