The South Asian Times
e x c e l l e n c e
Vol.12 No. 31 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
Maharashtra Musical Chairs
Uddhav Thackeray to be sworn
in CM with Cong‑NCP support
Mumbai: Shiv Sena President
Uddhav T hackeray on Tuesday
staked his claim before Governor
B.S. Koshyari to form the govern‑
ment in Maharashtra, party sources
said. The Governor has accepted the
claim and announced that
Thackeray will be sworn‑in as on
Thursday evening at Shivaji Park. A
high‑level delegation including NCP
and Shiv Sena leaders and other
leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi
(MVA) coalition met the Governor
and submitted support letters of all
alliance partners. The development
Dr Neeta Jain installed President of Democratic Club of Queens
Photo : Anjali Sharma
Itʼs Imran + army vs the justice system
Islamabad: Pakistan Chief Justice
Asif Saeed Khosa on Wednesday
rapped the attorney general for
turning the army chie f into a
"shuttlecock" and asked the Imran
Khan government to step back and
assess what it was doing, as he
heard a plea against extending the
tenure of Army chie f General
Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Prime Minister Imran Khan
through an official notification of
August 19 granted a three‑year
extension to General Bajwa, citing
BOLLYWOOD 16 PANAMA PAPERS 19
i n
80 Cents
Shiv Sena President
Uddhav Thackeray
Pak Supreme Court halts exten‑
sion for army chief Gen. Bajwa
"regional security environment".
Bajwa's original tenure is set to
HEALTH 26
j o u r n a l i s m
New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
came hours after Thackeray's unan‑
imous election as the MVA leader
this evening. Before that, in a major
political defeat for the BJP,
Maharashtra Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday quit, Taj hotel was targeted by the 26/11 masterminds including Hafiz Saeed.
hours after Deputy Chief Minister
Ajit Pawar also submitted his resig‑
nation, barely 80 hours after they
were sworn in on November 23
early morning.
Planners of
Shiv Sena was a poll partner but
split from BJP insisting it was
promised chief ministership.
Details on page 12.
Mumbai terror
attacks still
roam free
Queens, NY: Dr. Neeta Jain was
installed the President of the
Democratic Club of Queens by
Congressman Gregory W Meeks
in the presence of many elected
Washington: Remembering the
166 vict ims, including six
4It is an 'affront',
of ficials and dignitaries on
November 21. Dr. Jain is
Americans, of the 2008 Mumbai says Secretary
Democratic District Leader for
terror attacks, US Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday
Pompeo
Assembly District 25 Part B in
Queens. T he purpose of
said that it is an af front to them 4Protest at Pak
Democratic clubs is to promote
and their families that its perpetra‑
tors have still not been convicted.
embassy in DC on
the candidates and goals of the
party. Continued on page 4 26/11 anniversary
See detailed report on page 4.
Next act in Trump impeach drama
to play in Judiciary Committee
expire on Thursday at midnight Washington: After two weeks of
and he can continue as the army public hearings in President
chief if the Supreme Court decides Trumpʼs impeachment inquiry by
the case in his favor before that. the Intelligence Committee, the
Controversy surrounding the House Democrats believe they
extension of the term of army have a case, so a report will go to
chief is an embarrassment for the the Judiciary Committee. T hat
army, said defense analyst Lt Gen committee w ill hold its first
(retd) Amjad Shoaib. The Imran impeachment hearing after the
Khan government and the army Thanksgiving week on the "consti‑
seem to be pitted against the judi‑ tutional grounds for presidential
Expecting a trial in the Senate,
ciary. The government has also impeachment." Judiciary
President Trump has been court‑
Continued on page 4 Continued on page 4 ing Republican Senators like Mitt
More details on page 20 Detailed story on page 11. Romney. (Photo courtesy EPA)
SPIRITUAL AWARENESS 30 excellence in journalism
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Flushing Bank hosts a South Asian
business community networking event
The opening of the bank’s new branch in Hicksville in December is announced.
Uniondale, NY: Flushing Financial
Corporation (Nasdaq‑GS: FFIC), the
parent holding company for
Flushing Bank, announced that they
hosted a networking event on
November 20 at Akbar restaurant
in Garden City to introduce
Flushing Bank to community lead‑
ers, property owners, and members
of the South Asian business commu‑
nity.
John R. Buran, President and CEO,
stated, “In December, we will be
opening a new branch in Hicksville
providing us with an additional
Long Island location and continued
access to a multicultural communi‑
ty including Asian and South Asian
markets. Last nightʼs event was a
Kuwait Airways honors travel agents with appreciation awards
Special to The South
Asian Times
New York: Kuwait Airways has hon‑
ored its top travel agents at an
event in a Manhattan restaurant
attended among others by Christine
Al‑Wazzan, Regional Director of the
airline for the Americas.
The Travel Agents Appreciation
Awards were presented to 25
agents last week at the event held
at SAAR Restaurant. Savio Dias,
sales manager for the US and
Canada, and Amardeep Singh, sales
representative for passengers also
addressed the gathering.
The awards were given for the
first time in eight years, and Ms. Al‑
TRISTATE COMMUNITY
way for us to introduce Flushing
Bank to prominent members of the
South Asian community. After our
branch opening in mid‑December,
we plan to host additional events
with other members of the commu‑
nity to familiarize them with our
relationship‑based approach to
community banking and product
and service offerings.”
Prominent Indian community
organizations were well represent‑
ed at the event, including:
Association of Indians in America ‑
Harish Thakkar; Gujarati Samaj of
New York ‑ Harshad Patel (Pakaji);
Gujarati Samaj New Hyde Park ‑
Vijay Pate l; Asa Mai Temple ‑
Gobind Bathija and Arjen Bathija;
(from left) Honoree Skybird team‑‑Mizan Rahman, Archana Malhotra,
Ravindra Lal – posing with Regional Director Christine Al‑Wazzan and
Sales Manager Savio Dias.
Wazzan – who is based at the air‑
lineʼs regional office in Fort Lee, N.J.
‑‑ said that from now on, the event
Flushing Bank team present at the event
included Michael Bingold ‑ EVP/Dir of Distr
and Client Dev; William Gianakos ‑
SVP/Director of retail sales and wealth
management; Diane Cohen‑ SVP/Area
Manager/Metro Market; Sandy Bhatia ‑
VP/Branch Manager; Rhonda Delorenzo ‑
VP/Branch Manager; (Judy) Ng, Meeseung
‑ SVP/Director of Asian Segment; Steven
Glass ‑ SVP/Director of Retail Business
Development; Smitha Lukose‑Khan ‑
VP/Branch Manager; Melissa Kaiser ‑
VP/Business Development Officer; Purvi
Shah ‑ Premier Banker; David Yam ‑
Universal Banker; Theresa Mikulus ‑
Premier Banker; Korzekwinski, Francis
(Frank) ‑ Sr Exec VP/Chief RE Lending
Officer; Shaheen Khan ‑ VP/Business
Development Officer; Mohammad Yusuf ‑
Premier Banker; Maria Silva ‑ Business
Specialist; and Gregory Misciagna ‑
VP/Business Banker.
IALI ‑ Lalit Aery; Aarti Foundation ‑
Dilip Tolat; Nartan Rang Dance
Academy of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
‑ Swati Vaishnav; Jackson Heights
Merchant Association was repre‑
sented by Shiv Dass, Kamal Jolly,
Ajit Modi, Subhash Kapadia, Daniel
Thomas and Harshit Chugh.
Prominent community members
present included: Jasbir Chopra, ex
CEO of Indus American Bank,
Kamlesh Mehta ‑ The South Asian
Times, Sunil Hali ‑ Indian Express,
Sudhir Vaishnav, Khandu Patel,
Vinod Shah, Vijay Shah, Dr Sheetal
Desai, Bharat Goradia, Ajit Mody, Dr
would be an annual affair. In a brief
interview with this newspaper, she
said the airline is “very popular”
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 3
(from left) Smitha Lukose‑Khan, VP Branch Manager ‑ New
Hyde Park; Sandy Bhatia ‑ VP Branch manager at Hicksville
branch; Harshad Patel (Pakaji) ‑ President of Gujarati Samaj
and Purvi Shah, Premier Banker.
Jay Sarcar, and Dilip Chauhan. Island. As a leader in real estate
lending, the Bankʼs experienced
About Flushing Financial lending teams create mortgage
Corporation solutions for real estate owners and
Flushing Financial Corporation is property managers both within and
the holding company for Flushing outside the NYC metropolitan area.
Bank, a New York State‑chartered The Bank also operates an online
commercial bank insured by the banking division consisting of
FDIC. The Bank serves consumers, iGObanking.com, which offers com‑
businesses, professionals, corporate petitively priced deposit products
clients, and public entities by offer‑ to consumers nationwide, and
ing a full complement of deposit, BankPurely, an eco‑friendly, healthi‑
loan, equipment finance, and cash er lifestyle community brand.
management services through its
banking offices located in Queens, For more info
Brooklyn, Manhattan, and on Long http://www.flushingbank.com
among Indians and other South Skylink, Travelong, Adam, Akbar,
Asians. Their menu includes vege‑ C&H, Four Seasons, Ovation, Riya,
tarian food that suits Jains and Suma, Thomsons, Trans Am, Travel
Hindus. Leaders, USA Gateway, etc.
In India, the airline serves seven Kuwait Airways Company was
cities: Mumbai, New Delhi, Kochi, established in 1954 and started
T hiruvananthapuram, Chennai, serving nearby destinations. The
Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Kuwait government took over 50% interest
Airways also serves Colombo, in the airline as it faced economic
Dhaka, Lahore and Islamabad. hardships and it was fully national‑
Dias said plans are afoot to serve ized later.
Hyderabad and Kathmandu among The airline was relaunched when
other cities from next year. 15 of its aircraft were destroyed
A total of 55 travel agents from during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
across the region attended the It now has 25 modern aircraft,
November 20 event. All were from equipped with latest entertainment
the US except Airroute and systems, as per their website. Next
Cosmopolitan from Canada. Agents year a new generation of Airbus
represented Expedia, Skybird, A330‑800 will join its fleet.
 4 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 TURN PAGE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Planners of Mumbai OberoiTrident Hotel. India

Dr Neeta Jain is President of terror attacks still

roam free
Continued from page 1
has r e p e a t ed l y
Pakistan to take action
against the terrorist groups
a s k ed

Democratic Club of Queens Pompeo, who was talking to

Queens, NY: Dr. Neeta Jain was
sworn in as President of the
Democratic Club of Queens last week
at the Hill Crest Jewish Center by
Rep Gregory W Meeks, chairman of
the Demo crat ic org anizat ion of
Queens, and the emcee of the
evening was NYC Council member
Rory Lancman, Chairman of the Club.
The elected officials who attended
the ceremony were: Congresswoman
Grace Meng, Queens Boroug h
President and DA elect Melinda Katz,
NYS Senator John C. Liu, NYS
Assemblyman David Weprin, NYC
Council members Barry Grodenchik
and Donovan Richards. Deputy
Consul General of India in New York
Shatrughna Sinha also graced the
o ccasion. Dr. Jain recalled that
“Council member Rory Lancman
All 10 episodes of Inside
Edge 2 to launch on
approached me about the possibility
of re‑establishing the Daniel Patrick
Moynihan Democratic Club and
asked if I would like to lead this club
as President.
This idea excited me because I
knew this would be a new way for
me to he lp my local community
which I already represent as one of
the elected District Leaders.”
“A Demo crat ic Club has many
responsibilities, including supporting
good candidates at all levels of public
office (federal, state, and local levels)
and to promote civic engagement”,
she said adding that this club “will
promote a Democratic agenda that
helps makes our local community
grow stronger through promoting
more civic participation, and bring‑
ing awareness to our membership on
Indian‑American Anil
reporters at the Foggy
Bottom headquarters of the
operating from its soil.
However, the architects of
Mumbai attack like Hafiz
current local issues and needs for the S a eed , M a u l a n a Z a k i u r
State Department here, said
community.” Rehman Lakhvi and Sufayan
the cowardly attack shocked
She ended her remarks with a Zafar continue to receive mil‑
the entire world. Tuesday
quote from late Senator Moynihan: itary patronage.
marked the 11th anniversary
“What is not discussed will not be
of the Mumbai terrorist
advanced.” Next act in Trump
attack.
Dr. Jain is Democratic District
In a separate tweet, Acting impeach drama to
Leader for Assembly District 25 Part
Assistant Secretary of State play in Judiciary
B in Queens, which includes Flushing,
for South and Central Asia Committee
Kew Gardens Hills, Hillcrest and
Alice Wells expressed deep‑ Continued from page 1
Hillside Avenue.
est sympathies to the fami‑ Committee Chairman Jerry
Dr. Jain is an accomplished educa‑
lies of the victims. Nadler sent a letter to Trump
tor, civic and community leader. She
The US honors their memo‑ on Tuesday notifying him of
holds a do ctorate deg ree in
ries and is committed to see‑ the hearing and inviting the
Psychology and has been a practic‑
ing those responsible for President or his counsel to
ing psychologist for over 30 years.
these horrific acts brought to participate, including asking
She haws also founded International
justice, Wells said. questions of the witnesses.
Ahimsa Foundation USA to spread
Meanwhile, a large number The Judiciary Committee is
the message of non‑violence and
of Indian‑Americans and expected to hold multiple
peace from Jain principles to the
members of the Pakistani hearings related to impeach‑
community.
minority and ethnic commu‑ ment, and the panel would
nities gathered in front of the debate and approve articles
Embassy of Pakistan to
protest against the country's
of i m p e a ch m e n t b e f o r e a
vote on the House floor. If
role in supporting cross bor‑ the House of Representatives

Amazon Prime Video in Dec Raj killed in a terrorist der terrorist activities. votes for impeachment, the

B
T hey demanded that the matter would move to the
uilding on the success of its International
Emmy nomination last year, Inside Edge is
the story of the Mumbai Mavericks, a T20
attack in Kabul perpetrators of the terrorist
attack be brought to justice.
upper chamber with Trumpʼs
removal from of fice on the
T he protesters gathered line.
cricket franchise playing in the PowerPlay Kabul : Indian‑American "We extend our condo‑
outside the embassy also
League. Set in a landscape of sports, secrets, and Anil Raj was killed in a ter‑ lences to the family and
rorist attack in Kabul, US friends of the victim follow‑
r a i s ed t h e i s s u e o f t h e Itʼs Imran + army vs
scandals where selfishness is a virtue and sex,
Secretary of State Mike ing this tragic incident and
killings and enforced disap‑ the justice system
money, and power are mere means to an end,
pearances of minorities in Continued from page 1
Inside Edge is a story that pulls no punches, Pompeo said on Tuesday. send our best wishes for a
Pakistan. The demonstrators r eq u e s t ed t h e I s l a m a b a d
minces no words, and takes no prisoners. Above "I want to confirm with a speedy recovery for those
c a r r i ed p l a c a r d s r e a d i n g High Court to stop a special
all, Inside Edge Season 2 is a story of passion, heavy heart that a United who were injured," he said.
"Stop Mohajir genocide" and court from announcing its
courage, and love. Joining the lead cast in Season States citizen, Anil Raj of "Attacks target ing UN
"Free Balochistan". ve r d i c t i n a t r e a s o n c a s e
2 are Aamir Bashir, Sapna Pabbi, and Markand California, was killed in a personnel working to help
The terrorists who entered against former military dicta‑
Deshpande. The series returns with its stellar cast terrorist attack on a UN the Afg han people are
Mumbai struck at multiple tor Pervez Musharraf.
from Season 1, including Vivek Oberoi, Richa vehicle in Kabul on unconscionable, and we
sites in the city including the In its petition, Pakistan's
Chadda, Angad Bedi, Tanuj Virwani, Siddhant November 24. There were condemn this act in the
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus foreign ministry requested
Chaturvedi, Amit Sial, and Sayani Gupta. Its five other civilians who strongest possible terms,"
(CST) railway station, Cama that the verdict in the high
Executive Producers are Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh were injured, including Pompeo said.
Hospital, Nariman House treason case be held back
Sidhwani. It is created by Karan Anshuman and staf f," Pompeo told The State Department did
business and residential until a new prosecution team
directors are Aakash Bhatia, Karan Anshuman reporters at a news confer‑ not provide any other
complex, Leopold Cafe, Taj i s f o r m ed , S a m a a T V
and Gurmeet Singh ence here. details about Raj.
Hote l and Tower, and the reported.

Chairman and Co-Founder Consultants New Delhi Bureau News Service

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TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 5

India attractive investment destination: Experts at Princeton India Business Conclave

By Suchitra Srinivas
The South Asian Times
New York: Consulate General of New York
along with the Federation of Indian
Associations of NY, NJ and CT organized the
Princeton India Business Conclave in New
Jersey on November 24th. This is part of fur‑
thering efforts to integrate the Indian diaspo‑
ra into the $ 5 trillion growth trajectory that
the Indian government has envisaged.
Speaking at the event, the Consul Trade Devi
Prasad Misra indicated that with the easing of
business ecosystem, the time was just right for
the investors to get connected with India. The
banking sector reforms, the introduction of
the Aadhaar cards for a common identity, the
GST regulations and the infrastructural
advancement all paint a welcome story, said
he assuring the investment climate is friendly.
The conclave had some eminent speakers
share their thoughts about doing business in
India. Gijo Joseph, president and CEO Kotak
Mahindra observed that the prospects for
growth in the economy was huge. The lower‑
ing of inflation is a sign for boosting business
opportunities. The banking sector regulation
and unification of the public sector banks pose
a great opportunity for business growth, he
observed. Acknowledging the success of eco‑
nomic reforms, Nagaraja Kumar Deevi, senior
financial advisor said the opportunities in the
Fin tech obviously in the block chain areas
were large. Land reforms offered opportunity
in the Agri business to scale up production,
bring in modernization and for businesses to
focus on organic farming he said.
Įͧ˜€ ‚[ €ȯ ͧ›f  èȯ ͩ€šȡ™ȯ €ȯ ]ȡ  €ȯ ͧ›f ›ȨŠšȣ ]ȯ‘“
Major Krishna K Chari, an entrepreneur him‑
self observed that the startup ecosystem is
promising in India. The last decades have seen
huge development in logistics and supply
chain management areas. The increased pur‑
chasing power is always a great advantage for
business growth, he added.
Observing that states like Maharashtra and
Tamil Nadu have been growing at rates over 8
per cent which is higher than some of the
countries across the globe he said this should
be a reassuring factor for the investors. Major
Krishna, also the co‑chair of the Eastern chap‑
ter of the American Tamil Entrepreneur
Association recalled that the recent Tamil
Nadu Chief Ministerʼs visit could see signing
up of projects over Rs. 5000 crores.
Dr Punit Arora, Associate Prof CUNY
observed that India has now become an active
startup scene with some 50000 startups regis‑
tering at the end of last year. These startups
represent a great investment potential. He
insisted that with the ballooning population
growth in the country, India has to welcome
projects that help cleaner and more sustain‑
able development model.

AlbaneseDevelopment Corporation€ȯ ȡˆȯ‘ȡšȣ˜Ʌ Community Development Corporation of Long Island, Inc. (CDCLI):\DQGDQFK9LOODJH%XLOGLQJ(€ȯͧ›f

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StudentZmojo founder and CEO Gayatri
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from work, use her savings to instead
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focus on building StudentZmojo. The
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ing the college admissions process and              
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recent college graduates are struggling              
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to pay off student loans.              
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for my Masterʼs and there was no site 16 Ǒ‘ Ȳ–š, €ȯžȡ˜–‡ȯ €”Ǘšȣš¡ ȯ —šȯ  ‚f›ȨŠšȣ]ȯ‘“”Ȫ芘ȡ€[“¡ȣȲCDCLIɮȡšȡĤȡ܏ͩ€f‡ȡ“ȯ …ȡǑ¡f@€Ǚ”™ȡڙȡ“‘Ʌ  ͩ€h“-›ȡ^“”š“—š“ȯ
available to tackle this problem,” says ͩ€ Ǘš˜Ʌ  ]ȯ‘“ɉ€Ȫ Ȫ˜ȡš ȯ žǕНȡš€Ȫ ȡ˜ȡۙ€ȡ™[ ƒȲŠɉ€ȯ‘ȫšȡ“ ȯ –‡ȯ €ȯ–Ȣ…€ȡ™ȡ[›™˜Ʌ  ”¡Ǖȱ…ȡ“ȡ…ȡǑ¡f@kš€ȡ™ȡ[›™“Ȳ–šȯŠšÛ Œȯ€Ȫ, 
Reddy. At launch, StudentZmojo walks
kš“Ȳ–šɇÈ ͬ‚ͪȲ‚€Ȫ–Ȳ‘š¡Ʌ ‚ȯ@
new advisors through a quick sign‑up
process where you authenticate by
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uploading few documents. (The company
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says it uses security best practices). The
company does not employ advisors but
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rather the advisors will be working as
freelancers at their convenience.  Ǘ…Ȣ˜Ʌ ` ȢИ˜Ʌ šȡ‡ȡȡ@

Prior to today, the company had been

running a private beta with an undis‑ ›ȨŠšȣǑ‘ Ȳ–š, €ȯ Ǖ–¡–‡ȯ€Ȫ295 Merritt Avenue, Wyandanch, NY 11798˜Ʌ ǔ萏Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance Corp˜Ʌ ]™Ȫǔ‡

closed number of users. W hile €ȧ‡ȡf‚Ȣ@¡˜]ȯ‘€ɉ€Ȫ`”ǔ萏¡Ȫ“ȯ€ȯͧ›fĤȪ× ȡǑ¡€šȯ¡ɇ

StudentZmojo is attacking a real prob‑
lem, itʼs not yet a comprehensive solution
̶ or even the best way for the way US
education system should be enhanced.
The StudentZmojo team is currently
based out of Greater Seattle area, and
looking to double the size of the team
over the next year with a particular focus
on hiring volunteers, interns.
 6 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 LOCAL GOVT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Nassau residents warned not Carolyn Maloney to lead powerful House panel
D
emocratic Rep. Carolyn bring "outstanding legislative
to drive drunk this weekend Maloney of New York will
become the chairwoman
experience and knowledge of the
workings of the Congress that

N
assau County officials on Friday
warned residents against driving
drunk during the Thanksgiving
holiday weekend, and announced dis‑
count Uber rides to try to reduce drink‑
ing‑related accidents.
“We have Uber. We have taxi cabs. You
can have a designated driver,” she said.
“There is a way to have fun and enjoy
yourself over the holidays and do it in a
safe and responsible way,” Nassau County
Executive Laura Curran said at a news
conference in Sea Cliff.
State Sen. Jim Gaughran (D‑Northport)
praised the Uber discount and other
efforts underway known as Long Island
Safe Ride to cut down on drunken driving.
“Long Island Safe Ride is a multifaceted,
private‑public partnership to remind
everyone that drinking and driving have
no place on our roadways,” he said.
“Itʼs really going to make a difference
we hope this Thanksgiving weekend.”
The effort also will include an increase
in police patrols.
“We are here to say that there is
absolutely no excuse to drive while under
the influence on a holiday weekend, or
any weekend,” Curran said.
Thanksgiving Eve is the deadliest night
of the year for drunken driving in Nassau
County, of ficials said. Last year there
were 34 DWI arrests during the extended
Thanksgiving holiday, Curran said.
of the House Oversight will strengthen the Oversight
Committee after winning a cau‑ Committee's work at this critical
cus‑wide vote for the post, House time in our nation's history."
Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a The House committee is impor‑
news release Wednesday. She'll be Rep Carolyn Maloney is first tant not only because of its role
the first woman to lead the power‑ woman to chair House in the impeachment inquiry, but
ful panel. Oversight Committee it's also played a major role in
Maloney defeated Rep. Gerry Connolly of taking on issues the Democratic Party had with
Virginia by 133‑86, according to a source familiar. the Trump administration before the Ukraine mat‑
"The Congress and the country were devastated ter. The committee held hearings on the census
by the loss of Chairman Elijah Cummings, a master citizenship question, the administration's border
of the House who led the Committee on Oversight policies and its security clearance policies earlier
and Reform with great honor, integrity and princi‑ in the year. The caucus vote Wednesday came
ple," Pelosi said. "Now, our Caucus has elected after Maloney won the House Democratic steering
Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, a deeply committee's recommendation for the post by 36‑
respected and battle‑tested leader, to this critical 16 in a runoff against Connolly, according to two
post." The California Democrat said Maloney will Democratic aides. (Source: cnn.com)

Suffolk County
Executive Bellone
was under ↴⳦ⷊ䣠ㅀㆾ䩿䐴嫸

surveillance Community Development Corporation of Long Island (CDCLI) 䗭 ⅌ 㩢 ᴍ Albanese

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E 㜊Ṍᶍ
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Steve Bellone was spied upon in 2012
19 ᶋ⭄⪣
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S
uf folk County Executive Steve
Bellone responded Friday to the *㯧:⭄㬐旿僩
㬐 坋丳䶲䐴尸ȼᴉ廯䣞
䣞惐⳱∄〉䐧ᶊᴙ㰤尳ȼ
bombshell testimony dropped at
the obstruction of justice trial of former
‫ݶ‬ҵਸ֠
Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota
AMI ङ 50% AMI ङ 60% AMI ङ 90% AMI ङ 100% AMI ङ 110%
and his top aide Christopher
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fied that former police chief James 1 $ 3
 - $ 43,400 $  - $ 52,0
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 - $ 49,600 $  - $ 59,5
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even ran the New York City Marathon
alongside Bellone in 2014. ❬ₚ⪍㑵䖅ㆾ䩿䐴嫸⻆杼ᶏ 2019 ⵵ 12 㘉 16 㓦ᴌ≉ 5 㾺ⅎ(㾺 晟㈈徯ㄴ㓷擵)ᶥ僴 CDCLIȾ
"It doesn't surprise me this kind of sur‑ 嫸㯩【漕晟☩䷀❬ₚ䖅䐴嫸⻆杼ᶏ⍩ᴁ僴⍩ᶕ䖅㩤ⴹ⳦ṝ㓷 㓷擵(ᴋ≉ 9 㾺僴ᴌ≉ 5 㾺)弓
弓ᶥ漕
veillance activity was occurring, as dis‑
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turbing as it is," says Bellone. "They used
their trust in law enforcement of ficers
to be able to engage in their corrupt
㘈 ⁲ 䐲 嫶 ⋉ 媠 ℑ ㈆ ⸔ 漓 嫶 㱎 壇 ㄐ ᷫ 䖃 乐 䧘 www.cdcli.org 漓ㄕ ⋐ 徭 ᷵ ䷘ CDCLI 徭䪰
activities."
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accused of covering up Burke's 2012 ㅽℯȼ䐲嫶⎋杸䗭㈆≖㒆᷵䖃嫬壿 壿㋏ẚ凰嫬⎋塾䋬䅘嫬漓⢁㘈墀㭁漓ᵞ⬅㋏ẚ⁵ᷕ嫬 嫬壿ȼ
beating of suspect Christopher Loeb.
The jury also heard testimony and saw ⋁↟ㆼ䩽⵵ᴌ俼Ờ嫀ḙ劶ㅸㄕ㘈屃㜻䣞Ṏȼㆼ䩽䐲嫶ᶹ⬅㈈
ᶹ 斎㘹ㆼ⋕䖃杹ⶎ㊑№☧
№ 䩈
pictures of pornography, sex toys, police Ἐ⌌≔ᴉȼ
beatings and learned about a contractor
w ith the DA's of fice who followed
Burke's orders and put a GPS tracking ㆾ䩿⬇ᶏ 2019 ⵵ 12 㘉 20 㓦ᴋ≉ 10 㾺☩ Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance
device on a deputy police commission‑
Corp ᴿ坍
ᴿ 漕嫦⋹Ṏᶏ 295 Merritt Avenue, Wyandanch, NY 11798Ⱦ嫸䐴嫸ᶻ䣰㚂⋃↡漊
er's car. Spota and McPartland maintain
their innocence and say they did not
know Burke had assaulted Loeb. Burke
previously pleaded guilty and served
federal time.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Satya Nadella tops Fortune's 2019
Businessperson of The Year list
New York: Microsoft's India‑born
Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella
has occupied the top spot in
Fortune's Businessperson of the Year
2019 list, an annual compilation that
also includes Mastercard CEO Ajay
Banga and Arista head Jayshree
Ullal. Fortune's annual
Businessperson of the Year list fea‑
tures 20 business leaders "who tack‑
led audacious goals, overcame
impossible odds, found creative solu‑
tions." The list is topped by Nadella,
who has been at the helm of the
technology giant since 2014.
"In a year dominated by political
chaos and bluster, it was a rare
brand of steady ‑ even quiet ‑ leader‑
ship that won the day in the business
world. And no one epitomizes that
brand of obsessively results‑driven,
team‑based leadership more than
our new No. 1 Businessperson of the
Year," Fortune said.
Ajay Banga is ranked 8th, while
Jayshree Ullal comes in at the 18th
spot in the list for which Fortune
looked at 10 financial factors rang‑
ing from total return to shareholders
to return on capital. Both are of
Indian‑origin. Fortune said Satya
Nadella, a computer scientist, was
IALI donates
$15,000 to Interfaith
Nutrition Network
Hempstead, NY: T he India
Association of Long Island (IALI)
held its annual "Diwali Food Drive"
at Mary Brennan INN, here on
November 10. T his project,
"Feeding The Needy", started dur‑
ing the term of President Dr. Sunil
Mehra in 1994. This year $15000
was donated to the Interfaith
Nutrition Network (INN) which
feeds home less and needy in
Nassau County.
The President Lalit Aery along
with major donor Peter Bheddah
presented the check to Jean Kelly
in presence of many guests.
Bheddah, founder of the IALI
Diwali Food Drive, spoke how
important is this charity work for
him and how it touched his heart.
He thanked Suda Sharma for tak‑
ing the lead as Food Drive Chair
NATIONAL COMMUNITY
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
"neither a founder like Bill Gates, nor
a big‑personality sales leader like his
predecessor, Steve Ballmer when he
was named the "surprise choice" to
lead the Microsoft in 2014.
"He'd never worked in finance,
another training ground for CEOs.
And his stature on the global stage
was non‑existent. What's more, hav‑
ing joined Microsoft in 1992, he was
thoroughly steeped in a dog‑eat‑dog
Microsoft culture that had con‑
tributed to the company's stagna‑
tion," Fortune said.
Today, Satya Nadella "wears the
gaps in his resume as comfortably as
the jeans and blazers that are his
corporate uniform" it said.
"Key to his leadership style is a
willingness to delegate," particularly
to three members of his manage‑
for the first 10 years.
Lalit Aery thanked everyone
present there and all the donors
for making this charity work possi‑
ble year after year.
NYS Senator Kevin T homas
graced the event and applauded
IALI for doing a wonderful job.
Past President Bina Sabapathy
emceed the event. Event Chair
Jyoti Gupta sang both Indian and
American National anthems.
Jean Kelly, Director of the INN,
thanked President Lalit Aery and
all the donors for their generous
gesture. In her emotional speech
she mentioned the importance of
giving back to the community and
cited the example of how individu‑
als can change the lives of others
and requested everyone to enlight‑
en their heart with Diwali light.
ment team ‑‑ president Brad Smith,
who runs policy and legal af fairs;
Microsoft's chief financial of ficer
Amy Hood and chief people officer
Kathleen Hogan.
"I am wired to be fairly confident
in myself and to let others shine,"
Fortune quotes the Microsoft CEO as
saying. "CEOs can only do what they
do if they have an amazing team. I
am blessed to have that."
On Ajay Banga, Fortune said,
"Thanks in part to Banga's vision,
Mastercard has emerged as a "poster
child" for how legacy players in
financial services can embrace and
adapt to a rapidly evolving environ‑
ment. In turn, the company has
become a darling of the markets this
year, with its stock climbing more
than 40 per cent in 2019."
Fortune said Ajay Banga, who is a
Sikh, has also been an outspoken
proponent of workforce diversity.
"For any company, or even for soci‑
ety, to succeed, we have to acknowl‑
edge that diversity is a key compo‑
nent in strength. We have to sur‑
round ourselves with people who
donʼt look the same and have had
different experiences," Fortune quot‑
ed him as saying. (PTI)
Best of Long Island holiday season events
T
he holiday season on Long
Island is filled with lights
and festivities. Here are a
few you may wish to visit....
FROSTY
Nov. 23‑Dec. 29, various times.
This family friendly show tells the
story of Jenny and Frosty and their
adventures as they try to save the
town of Chillsville from Ethel
Pierpot and her evil machine that
will melt all the snow.
WHERE John W. Engeman
Theater, 250 Main St., Northport
INFO 631‑261‑2900, enge‑
mantheater.com, $15
POLAR
EXPRESS/NORTH
FORK TROLLEY RIDE
Weekends and select weekdays
from Nov. 29‑Dec. 23. Families can
take a trolley ride to the "North
Pole," inspired by the classic chil‑
dren's book by Chris Van Allsburg
(and a 2004 movie starring Tom
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
Grammy nomination for
Aziz Ansari for ‘Right
Now’ comedy album
New York: As nominations for the
62nd Grammy Awards were
released Nov. 20, Indian American
Aziz Ansari of “Parks and
Recreation” and “Master of None”
fame was nominated for his Netflix
stand‑up comedy special “Right
Now.”
Ansariʼs special was among the
nominees in the Best Comedy
Album category. The comic is in a
field that includes Jim Gaffigan for
“Quality Time”; Ellen Degeneres
for “Relatable”; Trevor Noah for
“Son of Patricia” and Dave
Chappelle for “Sticks & Stones.”
Directed by the renowned Spike
Jonze, “Right Now” marks Ansariʼs
third Netflix‑exclusive stand‑up
special, following 2015ʼs “Live at
Madison Square Garden” and
2013ʼs “Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive.”
In between specials, the actor‑
comedian has spent most of his
time with “Master of None,” a
Netflix original he co‑created,
directs, writes, executively pro‑
duces and stars in. The show fol‑
lows Ansari as commercial actor
Hanks). For children 2 and older.
WHERE All trips depart from The
All‑Star Bowling Alley, 96 Main Rd.,
Riverhead
INFO 631‑369‑3031, $57 a per‑
son, tickets available at northfork‑
trolley.com.
'TIS THE SEASON
Dec. 7, 4‑7 p.m. This celebration
of Sayville's history includes a holi‑
day lantern tour, crafts, face paint‑
ing and music.
WHERE Long Island Maritime
Museum, 88 West Ave., West
Sayville.
INFO 631‑854‑4974, limar‑
itime.org, $5 per person.
VANDERBILT MAN‑
SION'S FESTIVE HOLI‑
DAY DINNERS
Dec. 7, seatings at 6 and 8 p.m.
Enjoy a meal in the Gold Coast
mansion, which will be decked out
in holiday finery. Includes a guided
7
Aziz Ansari
(Image : latimes.com)
Dev, with the first two seasons
based in New York City and Italy
consecutively.
The acclaimed “Master of None”
has also received recognition, win‑
ning three Emmy Awards and a
Golden Globe, including two wins
for Outstanding Writing for a
Comedy Series, Outstanding
Single‑Camera Picture Editing for
a Comedy Series and Best Actor in
a Television Series – Musical or
Comedy for Ansari. A third season
is yet to be announced.
The Grammy Awards will take
place on Jan. 26 at the Staples
Center in Los Angeles.
tour of the Vanderbilt Museum.
WHERE 180 Little Neck Rd.,
Centerport
INFO 631‑854‑5579, vanderbilt‑
museum.org, $150 a person, $135
for members, reservations
required.
Father Christmas of the North
Pole and Wading River in the
Annual Dickens Festival in Port
Jefferson. Credit: Marisol Diaz
24TH ANNUAL
CHARLES DICKENS
FESTIVAL
Dec. 7‑8. Port Jefferson's annual
salute to the prolific British author
includes trolley and carriage rides,
costumed characters from "A
Christmas Carol," Victorian enter‑
tainment, magic shows and a giant
puppet parade.
INFO 631‑473‑4724, 631‑473‑
1414, portjef f.com; most events
are free.
(Source: newsday.com)
8 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 NATIONAL TheSouthAsianTimes.info

IN BRIEF

The India Center hosts RCHS hosts annual

annual classical arts fest winter coat giveaway
R
otary Club of
Hicksville
South (RCHS)
held its Annual
Winter Coats
Giveaway Project at
the HAB Bank
Premises, in
Hicksville, Long
Island, NY, on
November 22.eThis
year 475 winter coats
were distributed RCHS president Mukesh Modi (fourth from left)
Rishab Sharma on Sitar (Image credit: Burroughs Lamar) among school children
of the following school districts and organi‑ Council.

T
he India Center hosted its 13th
Saraswati Classical Arts Festival on
November 23rd at 6:00 pm at the
Manhattan Neighborhood Network, 537 W
59th Street, New York. The Festival started
with an amazing Santoor performance by
maestro Vinay Desai, followed by a scintil‑
lating rendition on Sitar by expert Rishab
Sharma and a grand finale by Bharat
Natyam expert Guru Liza Joseph
zations: Hicksville Public Schools,
Hempstead Public Schools, Freeport Public
Schools, Jericho Public Schools,
Peacevalley Heaven Shelter, Marshal
School of Hempseed, Jackson Main School
of Hempstead and Hempstead School
In addition some coats (jackets) were dis‑
tributed at the event. Pupul Chopra emceed
the event; welcome speech was given by
RCHS president Mukesh Modi; the project
chairs were Jasbir Jay Singh, Rizwan
Qureshi and Mizan Rahman.

Winter clothing distributed at

Advisory on Validity of Overseas
Salute to Veterans event Citizen of India (OCI) Card
W
e have been informed of difficul‑
ties faced by OCI cardholders who
are not being allowed to board
flights as passport number on their OCI
cards and the passport number on current
passport held by them are different. OCI
cardholders may please ensure following cri‑
teria of validity of their OCI cards before
planning their visit to India:
1. OCI card holder who is 20 years of age
or younger, OCI card must be renewed each
Bishops, Past president AIA NY Chapter Gobind Munjal, veterans children time a new passport is issued.
holding winter jackets and winter cap, Dr.Urmilesh Arya, president National AIA, 2. OCI card holder who is 21 to 49 years of
Neelam Modi, AIA treasurer, Nilima Madan, general Secretary AIA and members age, it is not mandatory to renew OCI card
of AIA Rajesh Goyal , Anju Sharma, and Dr. Yash Pal Arya. each time a new passport is obtained.
passport.
5. If the OCI card is issued for the first time
after the age of 50 years, then there is no
need for re‑issuance of OCI card in case a
new passport is obtained. However, if the
applicant so desires at anytime he/she can
apply under Miscellaneous Services for re‑
issue of the OCI card to reflect the updated
passport number, change in personal partic‑
ulars etc.
6. As far as Indian immigration authorities
are concerned, the OCI cardholders (exclud‑
ing OCI cardholders mentioned at point 1
above) will be permitted to entry/exit India
on the strength of OCI card even if it con‑

A
ssociation of Indians in America,
Indian American Forum and Rotary
Club Hicksville South organized
Salutes to Veterans program at Hicksville
Community Center, NY. More than 150 peo‑
ple joined in the effort. Association of
Indians in America gave 500 new winter
jackets to Veterans Children and Rotary
Club Hicksville South gave 200 winter caps.
The event was graced by Town supervisor
Joseph Saladino, Senator Kevin Thomas,
Bishops‑William Watson, Dr. David B. Gates
Dr. Megan Ryan from General Council of
Nassau County Medical Center, Chairperson
of Friends of Health Bobby Kalotee and
Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Veterans
Quamid Francis. Roopam Mani conducted
the program. Pledge of Allegiance was done
by Mattew Singh and Amy Singh, American
national anthem was sung by Veterans
Children Hunter Caiazzo, Aidan De Verna,
Kyle Flnn and Evan Powers. Indian national
anthem was sung by Roopam Mani.
Welcome remarks were given by Indu
Jaiswal, IAF chairperson. Dr.Paramjeet
Singh Saini was the honoree of the day.
Oyster Bay Town Supervisor Joseph
Saladino said, “Together with the Indian
American Forum, National AIA and Rotary
Club Hicksville South, we recognized many
worthy individuals for their tireless work in
our community as well as their support of
veterans in terms of advocacy. We must
never forget our veterans and active military
for their service and sacrifices. Freedom is
not free. Our democracy was fought for and
defended by the brave men and women of
the United States. Our ability to freely meet
and express our opinions is the direct result
of those who have served and those current‑
ly serving in our military The minute we for‑
get those sacrifices or take for granted the
dedicated service of veterans and active mil‑
itary personnel, we will surely lose the free‑
dom and opportunities, we all enjoy as
Americans.”
Dr.Urmilesh Arya, president National AIA
said, “On behalf of Executive committee of
AIA and its members I salute our veterans
who risk their life and tolerate all kind of
weathers at the border. Words cannot
express, the obligation we feel. We are safe
in America only because of the dedication
and sacrifices of veterans. If we can do
something for them and their families, we
will feel fortunate.”
3. OCI card holder who attains the age of tains the old passport number of the card
50 years or more, OCI card must be renewed holder.
only once after the issuance of a new pass‑ 7. Applicants may also refer to the follow‑
port. ing links (including FAQs) for any other clari‑
4. It is also clarified that if an OCI card‑ fication on the matter:
holder renews his/her foreign passport of a) https://boi.gov.in/content/overseas‑citi‑
10‑year validity at anytime between the age zen‑india‑oci‑cardholder
41 to 49 and which remains valid till he/she b) https://mha.gov.in/MHA1/OCI.html
attains the age of 51 to 59, the old OCI card (This is an official advisory from the
would remain valid till he/she obtains a fresh Consulate General of India, New York)
Saregama and TV ASIA jointly
announced the launch of Saregama
World Bhakti TV on Nov. 19 at the TV
Asia auditorium in Edison, NJ.
Padma Shri Dr. H R Shah, Chairman &
CEO of TV Asia and Vikram Mehra,
Managing Director of Saregama
India Ltd, unveiled the channel logo
during an episode of TV Asiaʼs Focus
Live show in which both guests were
interviewed and interacted with live
callers and audience. Saregama
India Ltd., a RP Sanjiv Goenka Group company is India's oldest music label,
youngest film studio and a multi‑langauge TV content producer. Since 2017,
Saregama has been making headlines owing to the launch of two unique
initiatives, Saregama Carvaan and Yoodlee Films. Saregama Carvaan is a portable
digital music player with in‑built stereo speakers that comes with 5000
evergreen Hindi songs inside.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Trump impeachment:
Kashyap Patel named
Ukraine info source
New York: An Indian‑American White
House Official has been enmeshed in
the controversy over President Donald
Trump's dealings with Ukraine that is
the focus of the impeachment hearings
against him. House of Representatives
Intelligence Committee Chair Adam
Schif f on Thursday named Kashyap
Patel as a source providing informa‑
tion on Ukraine matters directly to
Trump, bypassing the National
Security Council (NSC) staf fers in‑
charge of the country's matters.
Patel, who is the senior director of
counter terrorism in the NSC, is a polit‑
ical appointee caught in the crossfire
between Trump loyalists and those tak‑
ing on the president.
During the impeachment hearing tes‑
timony by Fiona Hill, the former NSC
Senior Director dealing with Ukraine,
Schiff said, "The indication is that Kash
Pate l provided some information
directly to the president without your
knowledge." "That seems to be the indi‑
cation," she replied.
To reinforce the Democratic line that
there was an unofficial parallel foreign
policy set up dealing with Ukraine,
Schiff said that Trump thought an indi‑
vidual was the director of Ukraine in
the NSC and asked her who it was.
Hill said that the person was referred
to only as "Kash" and "I had to search
my mind. The only Kash I knew at the
National Security Agency was Kash
Patel." Schiff asked her if he worked on
Ukraine and reported to her, and she
replied that Lt Col Alexander Vindman,
who testified on earlier, was the direc‑
tor for Ukraine and she did not oversee
Patel.
In secret hearings last month
Vindman had told the panel investigat‑
ing Trump for impeachment that Patel
had misrepresented his expertise on
Ukraine to the president.
Because of this he had been prevent‑
ed from attending a briefing for
Trump, he said.
Patel had worked for the Intelligence
Committee, when it was controlled by
the Republicans and David Nunes was
its chair.
As an aide to Trump's vociferous
supporter Nunes, Patel raised ques‑
tions about the credibility of the allega‑
tions against Trump of colluding with
Russians, which led to the protracted
inquiry by Special Counsel Robert
Mueller, who ultimately did not find
such collusion.
NATIONAL
Mattel makes Barbie based
on Indo‑American scientist
Nalini Nadkarni
New York: Think Barbies and
the images of blonde svelte plas‑
tic figurine with blue eyes flash‑
es on your mind screen.
However, that is not the case
anymore. Mattel, the famous
doll‑making company in its bid
to become more inclusive has
been introducing dolls repre‑
senting dif ferent ethnicity and
work cultures.
And the latest to hit the mar‑
ket is the figurine inspired by
Indian American scientist Nalini
Nadkarni. Nadkarni is an Indo‑
American ecologist and a scien‑
tist at the University of Utah.
She is a pioneer in rain forest
ecology and dedicates a lot of
time researching about trees
canopies. Mattel, in collabora‑
tion with Nadkarni and National
Geographic, has come up with a
new range of Barbies that repre‑
sent women of color in the
STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics)
professions.
These Barbies come with com‑
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
Nalini Nadkarni's Treetop
Barbies are designed to inspire
girls to take up STEM subjects
plete gear, the he lmet, the
binoculars, the jacket and don't
miss out on the boots. However,
there is a very interesting story
behind this.
In the early 2000s, Nadkarni
realized that there were not
many women who were inter‑
ested in canopy studies. She also
knew that Barbies had a lot of
influence over kids, so, in order
to encourage young girls to
study ecolog y and canopy
research she started making her
own dolls who were ecologists.
She used to buy second‑hand
dolls, get their clothes made by
9
a tailor which were job appro‑
priate and included a jacket and
boots. She used to call them
TreeTop Barbies and her motive
behind this was to attract more
women towards the STEM jobs.
She took them to conferences
and events that she went to and
even sold quite a few.
After some time, Nadkarni
took the idea to Mattel to con‑
vert it into a legitimate thing.
But, at that time Mattel was not
interested in the concept. After
the dolls became a hit and
TreeTop Barbies made head‑
lines, Matte l approached
Nadkarni trying to convince her
to stop making the dolls but this
t ime, she was the one who
refused.
But now, things have changed
and Mattel along with Nadkarni
are making Barbies that repre‑
sent women in various profes‑
sions. Taking inspiration of an
Indian origin scientist for their
dolls is a first for Mattel.
(Source: indiatoday.in)
 10 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 US AFFAIRS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Navy Secretary ousted Dalai Lama may interact

after Trump's intervention with US Congressmen via
in war crimes case video conference
Washington: In an extraordinary move, the order and discipline" of the US military by Dharamsala: Tibetan spiritual leader, out.” Later in the afternoon, the
Pentagon chief "fired" the Navy secretary intervening in Gallagher's case. the Dalai Lama, is likely to have a con‑ Chairman of the Senate Foreign
Sunday for going outside his chain of com‑ "I cannot in good conscience obey an versation with US Congressmen via Relations Committee, Senator James
mand by proposing a "secret agreement order that I believe violates the sacred oath video conference, the Central Tibetan Risch, met with Sangay, who briefed
with the White House," reports CNN. The I took in the presence of my family, my flag Administration (CTA) said last week. him on the reincarnation issue
agreement that led to Navy Secretary and my faith to support and defend the It said Tibetan President Lobsang between the Chinese Communist Party
Richard Spencer's forced res‑ Constitution of the United Sangay met with Congressman Ted and the Tibetan religious community.
ignation involved the case of States," Spencer wrote in his Yoho, a long‑time Tibet He also called on
Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, letter to the President supporting Republican Josh Hawley, a
one of three service members acknowledging his termina‑ Congressman in Republican senator for
facing war crimes allegations tion. Gallagher had been con‑ Washington. The two the state of Missouri.
whose cases have caused victed of bringing discredit to met to discuss the pos‑ Hawley said he would
unprecedented tension the armed services after pos‑ sibility of a video con‑ cosponsor the Tibet
between the Pentagon and ing next to a dead ISIS fight‑ ference between Act after the President
President Trump. Spencer The case of Navy SEAL Eddie er's body, which is against Congress members and explained to him the
had appeared to be seeking a Gallagher, who posed next to regulations. He was demoted His Holiness, the Dalai mass surveillance of
way to resolve a standof f a dead ISIS fighter's body, and for that offense and acquit‑ Lama. Tibetans in occupied
between the Pentagon and two other war crimes cases ted of a separate murder Sangay and Yoho Tibet. At his meeting
W hite House over had caused unprecedented charge. After Trump expressed concerns about Chinaʼs with Mitt Romney, a former presiden‑
Gallagher's case, but compet‑ tension between the reversed Gallagher's demo‑
Pentagon & President Trump. influence in Mongolia, and Yoho tial nominee, Romney recounted when
ing narratives that emerged tion a week ago, military agreed that there is bicameral and he met with the Dalai Lama on his visit
in the chaotic hours after Spencer's dis‑ officials launched a formal review to deter‑ bipartisan support between the House in Utah, and he expressed concerns
missal suggest the depth of the upheaval, mine if Gallagher was fit to serve, which is and Senate for Tibet. Yoho praised about Chinaʼs uncooperativeness.
disconnection and discord that remains. protocol after a conviction. That review was Tibetans for their resilience, said a The CTA quoting the Senator said he
Trump suggested on Twitter that Spencer's expected to lead to his expulsion. Gallagher post on the CTA. wished China would respect the sover‑
dismissal had to do with cost overruns and issued a statement on Sunday evening Sangay also met Pat Toomey, a eignty of Tibet and other regions.
the way Gallagher had been treated by the thanking his family, legal team and support‑ Republican representative for The Dalai Lama has met all the
Navy. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he ers that ended by heaping praise on Trump. Pennsylvania. He explained the history recent US Presidents (except Donald
asked Spencer to resign because he had lost "President Donald Trump you have my of the CTA and Chinese surveillance. Trump): Bill Clinton, George W. Bush
"trust and confidence in him regarding his deepest gratitude and thanks. You stepped After Toomey, he called on and Barack Obama.
lack of candor," according to a Pentagon in numerous times and showed true moral Congressman Tim Burchett, who later The Dalai Lama has lived in India
spokesman. fiber by correcting all the wrongs that were tweeted: “It was great meeting the since fleeing his homeland in 1959.
And Spencer pointed squarely to the being done to me. You are a true leader and President of Tibet. Thank you for the The Tibetan administration‑in‑exile is
President, suggesting that Trump was exactly what the military and this nation very cool scarf. China needs to get based in Dharamsala town.
undermining the "key principle of good needs," Gallagher said.

India faces challenge from new western Left in US, UK

Analysis by Indrani Bagchi
New Delhi: If the US Congress
is an influence‑peddling bat‑
tleg round for India and
Pakistan post‑Article 370,
India had a relatively good
week. After being battered by
Pakistan‑sponsored voices in
recent days, Indian and
Indian‑American sympathizers
have reclaimed some of their
voice. Three Congressional
leaders have pushed back
against a chorus against India
and its actions in Jammu &
Kashmir. Pete Olson, Francis
Rooney and George Holding
have all stood up in the House
of Representatives to support
Indiaʼs actions in the Valley.
On T hursday, Francis
Rooney said, “Islamic insur‑
gents are a constant threat,
spreading terror throughout
J&K and elsewhere in India.
We should support the gov‑
ernment in Delhi in the con‑
tinued fight against terror.
India also faces an increasing‑
ly aggressive and assertive
China that continues to export
its malign influence through‑
out the Indo‑Pacific region.”
T he concerns of Islamic
extremism, which were almost
absent in the earlier debate in
the US, also reflect a problem
India is facing in UK where
polit ical uncertainty and
looming elections have seen a
mobilization against India.
Groups claiming to represent
Muslim interests have target‑
ed candidates they see as
“anti‑Islamic” and Article 370
is in the direct line of fire.
In the US, Pete Olson said
earlier, “For 70 straight years,
this temporary article has
forced citizens of J&K to live
under dif ferent laws than all
other Indians ... Earlier this
year, the Indian Parliament
confirmed that Article 370ʼs
temporary status should end.
It gave the people of J&K the
same rights as all Indians.”
Indiaʼs diplomacy on Capitol
Hill has had to be ramped up
as Pakistan is on overdrive to
sponsor or support anti‑India
initiatives through their dias‑
pora as well as some well‑
funded lobby organizations.
Initially, India was seen to be
floundering before the system
tapped into its resources both
within the community and
with the lawmakers to tell
Indiaʼs story better. It is no
coincidence that all three
Cong ressmen are
Republicans, a party that has
been more understanding of
Indiaʼs act ions than the
Demo crats. T hat mig ht
become a bigger problem for
two reasons ̶ in the next
e lect ions, Demo crats are
expected to retake the House
and their politics are moving
so far to the Left that it might
render them unsympathetic to
Indiaʼs actions. It is much the
same in UK where Labour has
shifted more Left and there
are elements of convergence
with Muslim groups. In fact,
former President Barack
Obama sounded alarm bells
about the “progressive” turn
of the Democrats.
Some go so far as to say that
the party is now the play‑
ground for political opinion
typified by Alexandria Ocasio‑
Cortez, Ilhan Omar and
Rashida Tlaib. These young
polit ical leaders are also
believed to represent millenni‑
als and have conflated a
strong liberal sentiment with
“Islamophobia”. For their crit‑
ics, they seem to endorse
Islamists. India at this point is
seen to be on the opposite
side. It led to Indian‑origin
lawmaker Pramila Jayapal to
take a strong ant i‑Indian
stance, as the current chair of
the Progressive Democrats.
Even older Democrat leaders
like Brad Sherman and Eliot
Engels who may have been
more sympathetic to India
believe they should sharpen
their “liberal” credentials to
win elections, say sources in
Washington.
The upshot is that the bi‑
partisan consensus that India
enjoyed may become harder
to maintain. Political watchers
in London reckon the next
Parliament mig ht have
Muslim heritage MPs as the
largest minority group in the
House. In the last wee k,
Labour Party leadership did
some course corrections and a
letter issued by the Labour
Party president Ian Lavery
appeared to distance the party
from its Kashmir resolution as
well as Jeremy Corbynʼs com‑
ments. But this may only be a
balancing act.
Courtesy : The Times of India
TheSouthAsianTimes.info US AFFAIRS Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 11

Trump invited to Judiciary In blocking officialsʼ testimony,

Committee’s impeachment hearings Trump claims he is ʻfighting for
Washington: T he House
Judiciary Committee has
future presidents'
invited President Donald Washington: President
Trump or his counsel to par‑ Trump on Tuesday
ticipate in the panel's first claimed he was blocking
impeachment hearing next current and former
week as the House moves administration of ficials
another step closer to from test ify ing in the
impeaching the President, impeachment inquiry to
reports CNN. protect future presidents,
The committee announced reports T he Hill. T he
that it would hold a hearing statement came one day
December 4 on the "consti‑ after a federal judge
tutional grounds for presi‑ ruled former W hite President Trump at the turkey pardoning
dential impeachment," with House counse l Don in the White House on November 26,
a panel of expert witnesses McGahn must appear a Thanksgiving tradition.
testifying. The impeachment scene now shifts to the House Judiciary before a House pane l.
Committee chaired by Congressman Jerry Nadler. Trump argued in a trio of tweets that "Likewise, I would love to have Mike
Judiciary Committee
Chairman Jerry Nadler sent a House Democrats are moving forward with he "would love to have" McGahn, for‑ Pompeo, Rick Perry, Mick Mulvaney
letter to Trump on Tuesday notifying him of impeachment proceedings against the mer national security adviser John and many others testify about the
the hearing and inviting the President or his President following the two‑month investi‑ Bolton, Secretary of State Mike phony Impeachment Hoax," Trump
counsel to participate, including asking g at ion led by the House Inte lligence Pompeo and acting chief of staff Mick tweeted. "It is a Democrat Scam that is
questions of the witnesses. Committee into allegations that Trump Mulvaney testify. The White House going nowhere but, future Presidents
"I write to ask if ... you or your counsel pushed Ukraine to investigate his political has thus far blocked of ficials from should in no way be compromised.
plan to attend the hearing or make a request rivals while a White House meeting and complying with Democratic requests What has happened to me should
to question the witness panel," the New York $400 million in security aid were withheld for testimony in the House impeach‑ never happen to another President!"
Democrat wrote. from Kiev. T he hearing announcement ment inquiry. "The D.C. Wolves and U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown
In the letter, Nadler said the hearing would comes as the Intelligence Committee plans Fake News Media are reading far too Jackson, an Obama appointee, ruled
"serve as an opportunity to discuss the his‑ to release its report summarizing the find‑ much into people being forced by Monday that, despite White House
torical and constitutional basis of impeach‑ ings of its invest ig at ion to the House Courts to testify before Congress," he arguments, McGahn was not immune
ment, as well as the Framers' intent and Judiciary Committee soon after Congress tweeted. "I am fighting for future from compelled congressional testi‑
understanding of terms like 'high crimes and returns from its Thanksgiving recess next Presidents and the Of fice of the mony and must testify before the
misdemeanors.' " week. President. Other than that, I would House Judiciary Committee.
"We expect to discuss the constitutional Democratic aides declined to say what actually like people to testify." “Presidents are not kings,” Jackson
framework through which the House may additional hearings they will schedule as He praised Bolton as a "patriot" and wrote in a 120‑page opinion.
analyze the evidence gathered in the present part of the impeachment proceedings. downplayed what he may know about T he Trump administrat ion has
inquiry," Nadler added. "We will also discuss The Judiciary Committee is expected to the Ukraine scandal that has engulfed appealed the decision, but Trump's
whether your alleged actions warrant the hold multiple hearings related to impeach‑ the Trump administration. Bolton left insistence that he would "love" to let
House's exercising its authority to adopt ment, and the panel would debate and the White House in September, and some of his top aides testify may ham‑
articles of impeachment." The Judiciary approve articles of impeachment before a after his departure Trump complained per his legal argument that they
Committee hearing is the latest sign that vote on the House floor. he did not get along with others. should have immunity.

Bloomberg officially enters the 2020 race

New York: With nearly a dozen
Democratic candidates vying for
the party nomination to challenge
incumbent Donald Trump, and no
clear frontrunner, former NYC
Mayor Michael Bloomberg threw
his hat into the ring late in the
race on Sunday, saying Americans
"cannot afford four more years of
President Trump's reckless and
unethical actions."
"He represents an existential
threat to our country and our val‑
ues. If he wins another term in
office, we may never recover from
the damage. The stakes could not
be higher. We must win this elec‑
tion. And we must begin rebuild‑
ing America." Bloomberg said in a
post on his campaign website
announcing his decision to run,
adding that his "unique set of
experiences in business, govern‑
ment, and philanthropy w ill
enable me to win and lead."
"As a candidate, Iʼll rally a broad
and diverse coalition of Americans
to win. And as president, I have
the skills to fix what is broken in
our great nation. And there is a lot
broken," he said.
Bloomberg's late call is a rever‑
sal of his earlier decision not to
run, and it comes after months of
Democratic scrapping for the
party nomination has failed to
throw up a clear leader.
Although former vice‑president
Joe Biden is considered the front‑
runner, some polls have shown
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth
Warren leading in some surveys.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders,
who lost the nomination race to
Hillary Clinton in 2016 is also
among the top three, and more
recently South Bend, Indiana
Mayor Pete Buttigieg, has polled
well in some surveys
But overall, there are doubts
over whether any one of them has
the goods to beat Donald Trump,
who remains a shoo‑in for the
Republican nomination and brags
all the time about how easily he
will win the 2020 race.
Bloomberg, on his part, claimed
that he knows what it takes to
beat Trump because he had
already done it several times, cit‑
ing how he had taken his fellow
New Yorker on issues such as gun
violence, climate change, big
tobacco and other issues and
pushed through a more progres‑
sive agenda and legislation.
"I offer myself as a doer and a
problem solver – not a talker,"
Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg, who at 77 will be
some six months older than Joe
Biden (already the oldest candi‑
date in the race) is an entrepre‑
neur who made his fortune creat‑
ing technology that bankers and
traders use to access market data.
After building a successful
financial information business,
including a media company, he
turned to politics, running for
NYC mayor soon after 9/11 as a
Republican in an overwhelmingly
Democratic city. He not only won
the election but was reelected
twice, although he switched par‑
ties and became an independent
in his second term, and more
recently re‑reg istered as a
Democrat.
Bloomberg, whose wealth is esti‑
mated at more than $ 50 billion,
is far wealthier than Trump, and
his strategy centers on outspend‑
ing other Democratic aspirants to
make a bid for the party nomina‑
tion. He is expected to ignore the
first four primary states, where
other candidates will be spending
money to get a head start, and
instead conserve his energy and
money for Super Tuesday on
March 3 when 15 states hold their
primaries simultaneously, burying
his opponents with an advertising
and publicity blitz.
 12 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
Mumbai: In a major polit ical
defeat for the Bharatiya Janata
Party, Maharashtra Chief Minister
Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday
quit, hours after Deputy Chief
Minister Ajit Pawar also submitted
his resignation, barely 80 hours
after they were sworn in on
November 23 early morning.
"Ajit Pawar handed in his resig‑
nation to me this morning on per‑
sonal grounds. So, now we don't
have the requisite numbers to con‑
tinue. Accordingly, I have decided
to resign. I shall meet the Governor
and submit my resignation today,"
Fadnavis told a crowded media
conference this afternoon.
Fadnavis took charge of his new
assignment on Monday morning,
but Ajit Pawar, who did not take
charge, decided to quit and gave
his resignation letter to the CM on
Tuesday morning.
He said the BJP will now sit in
the Opposition and perform in a
constructive manner, raise the
issues of the farmers, the poor and
other sections of society.
Fadnavis also thanked the people
of Maharashtra and the BJP,
including Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, BJP President and Union
Home Minister Amit Shah, his col‑
leagues and legislators for repos‑
ing faith in him and giving him an
opportunity to serve for the past
Sharad Pawar: Return of the
Maratha strongman
New Delhi/Mumbai: NCP supremo
Sharad Pawar, who scripted the
Shiv Sena‑NCP‑Congress regime,
reached the Trident Hote l on
Tuesday amidst cheers from
workers of all the three parties,
though having being written of f
by political analysts ahead of the
crucial Maharashtra Assembly
elections after his party's lacklus‑
ter performance in the Lok Sabha
polls earlier this year.
Despite the momentary setback
of nephew Ajit Pawar's abortive
re be llion, Sharad Pawar has
emerged the winner in the politi‑
cal game, which was changing its
course every minute. He has suc‑
cessfully enthroned Shiv Sena
Udd hav T hackeray as Chie f
Minister with much maneuvering.
T he path was not easy at it
seems now ‑ Pawar had pushed
for a rotational Chief Minister in
the state but the Shiv Sena insist‑
ed on a full five year term. Then
Uddhav Thackeray's nominees for
CM also found no takers, includ‑
ing name of his son and first‑time
MLA, Aditya Thackeray.
In this entire episode, Pawar
kept the suspense on till Friday
when he announced Udd hav
Thackeray will lead the coalition.
Before that, he was intentionally
evasive, saying at one time that he
doesn't know who will form the
Maharashtra: Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar
quit after 80 hours in power
five years as the state CM.
The political development was
greeted with distribution of sweets
and celebrations by activists of the
Shiv Sena, Natioanlist Congress
Party and Congress, besides other
smaller parties.
Earlier, Fadnavis renewed his
tirade against the Shiv Sena for
insulting the "public mandate"
which it had got in alliance with
the BJP and deciding to ally with
other parties. This is the second
time in 80 hours that the state was
rocked after Fadnavis and Ajit
Pawar were quietly sworn in dur‑
ing an early morning ceremony on
Saturday at Raj Bhavan by
Governor B.S. Koshyari, sparking a
nationwide furore. The following
day, Sunday, the Sena‑NCP‑
Cong ress moved the Supreme
Court for an urgent hearing which
was granted and the matter posted
for Monday. After the hearing on
Monday, the apex court ordered an
assembly floor test on Nov. 27,
with open voting and live telecast.
government, and then on another
occasion, saying the (then) BJP‑
Shiv Sena alliance had got a man‑
date to form the government.
Meanwhile, as the Sena, the
Congress and his NCP were reach‑
ing the final stage on the
Common Minimum Programme,
Pawar met Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in presence of
Home Minister Amit Shah and
what transpired between them is
not known.
As the three day parties agreed
on Friday that Uddhav Thackeray
will be the Chief Minister, NCP
spokesperson Nawab Malik said
that "Pawar Sahab has defeated
the Chanakya of modern Indian
politics", in a jibe at BJP chief and
Home Minister Amit Shah.
INDIA
Udhhav to be sworn‑in
as Maharashtra CM
Mumbai: Shiv Sena President
Udd hav T hackeray late on
Tuesday staked his claim to form
the government in Maharashtra
before Governor B.S. Koshyari,
party sources said.
The Governor has accepted the
claim and announced that
Thackeray will be sworn‑in as on
5 p.m. on November 28
(Thursday) at Shivaji Park.
A high‑level delegation includ‑
ing NCP leader Praful Patel, NCP
state chief Jayant Patil, Congress
state President Balasaheb Thorat,
Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde,
Samajwadi Party state President
Abu Asim Azmi and other leaders
of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)
met the Governor and submitted a
letter from Thackeray, support let‑
NCP
supremo
Sharad
Pawar.
Though Ajit Pawar's shock defec‑
tion revealed on Saturday morn‑
ing could have challenged Malik's
praise, Pawar kept his cool and
managed to quell the high‑voltage
revolt, proving he is a seasoned
political operator.
Throwing a challenge to the
BJP, he said "Maharashtra is not
Goa, Manipur or Arunachal
Pradesh or Karnataka" and went
on to prove his words.
Within three days of the revolt,
he not only managed to keep his
flock together but succeeded in
getting Ajit Pawar to resign, caus‑
ing the fall of the less than four
day old Devendra Fadnavis gov‑
ernment. Almost all MLAs of the
NCP are in the Pawar fold, leaving
Ajit Pawar isolated.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Udhhav
Thackeray will
be sworn‑in as
Maharashtra
CM.
ters of all alliance partners, and evening. It is not clear whether
other documents, to the Governor. Deputy CMs from the allies or
The development came hours other ministers would be sworn‑in
after Thackeray's unanimous elec‑ or not along with Thackeray on
t ion as the MVA leader this Thursday, said Thorat.
Fadnavis, Ajit
Pawar, other
Maha MLAs
take oath
Sharad Pawar, who first became
Mumbai: The oath‑taking cere‑
Maharashtra Chief Minister in
mony of the newly‑elected MLAs
1978 ‑‑ after some deft political
started at a brisk pace as Pro
manoeuvres ‑‑ at the age of 38
Tem Speaker Kalidas N.
has proved he is still at the centre
Kolambkar on Wednesday start‑
of Maharashtra politics. Thrice
ed administering their oaths
Chief Minister and Union minister
inside the Vidhan Bhavan, here
many t imes, he successfully
on Wednesday.
steered the NCP though it became
All the legislators, many of
a marginal player, both at the
them w ide‑eyed first‑t imers
Centre and in the state, after the
started reaching the legislature
UPA lost the 2014 general elec‑
precincts from 6.30 a.m.
t ions and the Maharashtra
onwards to avoid the morning
Assembly elections.
traf fic rush in one of the city's
During the October Assembly
commercial hubs, Nariman Point.
elections also, many leaders left
Inside the legislature, among
the NCP, including close aide
the early MLAs who took oath
Ganesh Naik, but the 79‑year old
were former Chie f Minister
Maratha leader campaigned vig‑
Devendra Fadnavis, former
orously.
Deputy Chie f Minister Ajit
After October 24 when the
Pawar, five‑t ime MLA Dilip
results were announced and trou‑
Walse‑Patil and BJP member and
ble sprang between pre‑poll allies
former Cabinet Minister
BJP and the Shiv Sena, Pawar was
Haribhau Bagade. The oath‑tak‑
in the thick of things, from meet‑
ing ceremony, as it proceeded
ing Shiv Sena leaders midway on
smoothly, was telecast live, in
the road to meet ing Udd hav
accordance with Supreme Court
Thackeray in hotel Trident and
orders of Tuesday and is expect‑
monitoring all political activity in
ed to be completed by this
a bid to return to the Centre stage.
evening. A friendly and relaxed
In Delhi, he met Congress inter‑
atmosphere prevailed both with‑
im President Sonia Gandhi twice
in and outside the Vid han
to take her consent in the govern‑
Bhavan, in contrast to the sheer
ment formation. His house 6,
tensions and political turmoil of
Janpath in Lutyens' Delhi had
the past one month that had the
been at the center of hectic politi‑
state on edge.
cal activity for the last few days.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA NEWS Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 13

India sends Cartosat‑3, 13 US satellites into space

Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh):
India's Polar Sate llite Launch
Vehicle‑XL (PSLV‑XL) rocket carry‑
ing advanced earth observation
satellite Cartosat‑3 and 13 US
nano satellites lifted off from the
second launch pad of the rocket
port here on Wednesday.
The 44.4 meter tall, weighing
320 ton rocket blasted of f from
the second launch pad at the coun‑
try's rocket port here. The launch
was normal despite a clouded sky.
According to ISRO, the 1,625 kg
Cartosat‑3 is an advanced agile
satellite to obtain panchromatic
and multispectral imagery with an
operational life of five years.
The payload has the capability of
take sharp pictures with a ground
resolut ion of 0.25 meter in
Panchromatic and 1 meter ground
platform, higher rate data han‑
dling and transmission systems,
advanced onboard computer and
new power electronics, dual gim‑
bal antenna and others.
The Indian space agency officials
used to say that they would supply
the required images for various
agencies.
The sharp satellite images can
also be used for surveillance pur‑
poses while ISRO is silent on this
aspect.
Sharing the ride with Cartosat‑3
were 13 nano satellites from the
US for an undisclosed fee to be
paid to NewSpace India Ltd ‑‑ the
Sharing the ride with Cartosat‑3 were 13 nano satellites from the US.
new commercial arm of ISRO.
resolution or ground sample dis‑ The Indian space agency also About 17 minutes into its flight,
tance (GSD) in 4 Band said, Cartosat‑3 has many new the PSLV rocket will first sling into
Multispectral modes with a swath technologies/elements like highly orbit Cartosat‑3.
of 16 km, said ISRO. agile structural platform, payload At about a minute later, the first
of the 13 US nano satellites will be
put into orbit. The final nano satel‑
lite will be ejected into its intended
orbit at 26 minutes and 50 sec‑
onds from the lift‑off of the PSLV
rocket.
Once the mission turns success‑
ful, India would have launched 310
foreign satellites.
According to ISRO, 12 of the US
nano sate llites are named as
FLOCK‑4P are earth observation
satellites and the 13th is called
MESHBED, a communication test
bed satellite.
T he PSLV‑XL is a four
stage/engine expendable rocket
powered by solid and liquid fuels
alternatively. The rocket has six
strap‑on booster motors to give
additional thrust during the initial
flight stages.

Ayodhya: Sunni Board won't Congress kept Article

file review petition
Lucknow: The UP Sunni Waqf
Board will not challenge the
Supreme Court verdict on the
Ayodhya dispute. A decision to
this effect was taken at a stormy
meeting of the Board held here
on Tuesday which was attended
by seven members.
Six members were unanimous
in their opinion that no review
petition should be filed, but the
seventh member, Abdul Razzaq,
struck a discordant note when
he said that a petition should be
filed. He was overruled by the
other members.
Razzaq, later termed, the
Board's decision as "ridiculous".
Those present in the meeting
included Board chairman Zufar
Faruqi, Adnan Farooque Shah,
Khushnoo d Miyan, Junaid
Siddiqui, Mohd. Junaid, Mohd.
Abrar Ahmad and Abdul Razzaq
who left the meeting midway.
The Sunni Waqf Board was
one of the main litigants in the
Ayodhya case.
Board chairman, Zufar Faruqi,
has been in the eye of the storm
ever since he said that no review
petition would be filed on the
Ayo d hya issue after the
Supreme Court announced its
verdict on November 9 in which
the disputed land was given for
Ram temple and a five‑acre plot
of land was to be g iven to
Muslims for the mosque.
Several leaders questioned his
370, Ram Mandir
decision that was announced
without a meeting of the board.
pending: Modi
Zufar Faruqi told reporters that
no decision was taken by the
Board on whether the of fer of
five‑acre land should be accept‑
ed or not.
"The members said the issue
would be taken up at another
meeting after the government
gave a concrete of fer of the
land," he said.
Meanwhile, the All India
Muslim Personal Law Board
(AIMPLB) has already said that
it will file a review petition.
The AIMPLB is also against
accepting an alternative site
to replace the demolished Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Jharkhand.
mosque. Ranchi: Prime Minister Narendra government was running on five
Modi has said that the Congress principles ‑‑ stability, good gover‑

Air India to be closed if

kept the removal of article 370 nance, development, self respect
and Ram temple dispute pending and national security. The BJP
for 70 years. He was addressing a provided corruption‑free, trans‑

privatization bid fails: Minister

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh
Puri on Wednesday said in Rajya Sabha that national
carrier Air India will have to close down if it is not
privatized.
He, however, said that a favorable deal would be
ensured for all the employees.
"I will go to that extent and say that," the Minister
said replying to a question in the Upper House.
Taking a small pause Puri said that the airline
would be closed down if not privatized.
The government is readying the bid document for
selling off its entire stake in the national carrier and
has set March 31 as deadline for completing the dis‑
investment process. In earlier attempt, the Modi
government had in May, 2018 invited the expres‑
sion of interest (EoI) to sell 76 per cent of its stake
but not a single private party showed interest in the
first stage of bidding.
The top aviation ministry of ficials and Air India
Chief Ashwani Lohani are currently meeting the
potential investors before launching the bid process.
Hardeep Puri had last week said that the Group of
Ministers (GoM) on Air India had earlier met and
taken some decisions.
Asked by a member in the Rajya Sabha if pilots
had been leaving the airline in the wake of privatiza‑
tion, the Minister replied in negative.
Air India has stayed afloat on government support.
The UPA‑II government had cleared a financial pack‑
age of over Rs 30,000 crore to ensure the public
sector carrier survived.
public rally in Palamau in the poll
bound Jharkhand.
"Congress is in habit of keeping
the issues pending. It kept pend‑
ing the removal of Article 370
and Ram temple dispute for 70
years. The Congress kept such
issues pending only for vote bank
politics. The BJP had promised to
solve such issues and we fulfilled
our promises. The BJP works for
a united India and great India," he
said.
It was the first election rally of
Modi in Jharkhand.
He said, "the Ram temple dis‑
pute has been resolved and now
everyone is happy".
"Jharkhand needs a strong and
stable government. It has moved
towards development in the last
five years and there is a need to
maintain the momentum in com‑
ing five years," said Modi.
He further said, "the Jharkhand
parent government and saved the
state from being plundered.
Efforts were made to end Maoist
menace. The Maoism blossomed
due to political instability in the
state."
Modi mounted attack on the
opposition alliance where the
Congress, the JMM and the RJD
are contesting together against
the BJP.
"The alliance was formed just to
grab power. If opposition wins,
the state w ill once ag ain be
thrown into instability," said
Modi.
"If lotus is blooming today, it's
due to the blessings of the people.
T he people here have always
stood by the 'kamal'", Modi fur‑
ther said.
He also listed various central
government schemes that he said
have changed the lives of people
in rural as well as urban areas.
 14 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 OP-ED TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Maharashtra circus: The peril of split verdicts

By Chanakya the CM is strong, and the govern‑ important economic centre today
ment is stable. But decisive ver‑ is the latter.

W
hen Maharashtra, and
the rest of the country,
slept on Friday night, it
appeared certain that Uddhav
Thackeray of the Shiv Sena would
become the stateʼs next chief min‑
ister (CM). He, it seemed then, had
the clear support of both the
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP),
and the Congress, which had
come around after initial ambiva‑
lence. When Maharashtra, and the
rest of the country, woke up on
Saturday morning, the state had a
new CM. But it wasnʼt Thackeray.
The last CM, the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP)ʼs Devendra Fadnavis,
was back in power. Ajit Pawar,
who was, till Saturday, the official
leader of the NCP legislative party
(and also happens to be the party
patriarch Sharad Pawarʼs nephew)
was the new deputy CM.
From the unlikely Sena‑NCP‑
Congress alliance within inches of
grabbing power, Maharashtra
suddenly appeared to have an
equally unlikely BJP‑NCP alliance
saddled in power. The stunning
twist in the tale ̶ which no one
saw coming, and perhaps less
than a dozen individuals had an
inkling of ̶ shook the entire
polity. But the story did not end
there, and it continues to remains
dicts have often created a situa‑ The second issue is the role of
tion where the winner becomes ideology and interests in political
excessively strong and is per‑ decision‑making. Maharashtra has
ceived as funct ioning in an shown, in recent weeks, the hol‑
authoritarian manner. lowness of claims of ideological
T his is true of West Bengal commitment on both sides. This is
under Mamata Banerjee, Uttar ironical, for the government at
Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath, the center is among the most ide‑
or even Tamil Nadu under the late ologically committed India has
Jayalalithaa. At the same time, had in recent t imes, and the
when voters have chosen to give Opposition leaves no opportunity
fragmented verdicts, parties have to claim it is fighting an ideologi‑
had no choice but to work togeth‑ cal battle. But despite being tied
er in the spirit of accommodation. together by Hindutva, the Sena
But this has generated political left the BJP.
Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari administering oath of office to instability, encouraged horse‑ T he final issue is of
Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as trading, weakened governance, Constitution, convention and
Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. and left the state more corrupt. process. On Saturday, President
The CM and Deputy CM were gone in three days. This is, most recently, true of Ram Nath Kovind spoke at a
fluid. The BJP claims that all 54 came around to giving him the Karnataka. Governorʼs conference and high‑
Members of the Leg islat ive benefit of doubt by the evening One could argue that in lighted their role in the constitu‑
Assembly (MLAs) of the NCP are and is banking on him to turn the Maharashtra, politically speaking, tional system. But there is a wide‑
backing the government, and it political whee ls around once the clear verdict was in favor of spread perception that state gov‑
will comfortably cross the majori‑ again. the National Democratic Alliance ernors often become an adjunct
ty mark. Sharad Pawar claims Beyond the intrigue, the drama, (the BJP and the Sena together of the party in power at the
that Ajit Pawar acted on his own; and the family wars, the entire had a majority, and they did have Center. This was true during the
there are only 10‑11 MLAs who episode throws up several issues a pre‑poll alliance), but the rift era of the Congress rule; it is true
have moved and that some of about the larger pract ice of between the two, left the door now.
them are moving back; Fadnavis Indian democracy. open for instability in a hung Put it all together. The shifting
will fail to prove his majority on T he first issue is about the assembly. So here is the dilemma. alliances, the incongruity between
the floor of the house; and the nature of a mandate. In recent Exceptionally strong verdicts pre‑poll rhetoric and post‑poll
NCP‑Sena‑Congress alliance will years, voters in many states have potentially lead to weakening of tactics, the defections, the pursuit
stay intact. The Congress, which decided to give a clear mandate to democracy, fragmented verdicts of narrow self‑interest, and the
was initially suspicious of Sharad one party or leader. When that potentially lead to instability. violations of process do not paint
Pawar on Saturday morning, happens, there is a clear winner, What is happening in Indiaʼs most a pretty picture.

Not just a Brexit election: Outcome will tilt global balance

By Saeed Naqvi because earlier BBC's political correspon‑
dent, Rob Watson, for instance, never

I
n a hall somewhere in England, a pro‑
pagandist for the Tories, a sort of mar‑
keting man, is being bombarded by
angry citizens on bad schools, bad hous‑
ing, bad health service. The salesman,
wriggling against the wall, furrows his
brow and comes up with an explanation.
After stuttering a few times, he says: "The
answer to your problems is here, in this
very room." Then, foaming at the mouth
on the issue of health services, he points
to a young man. "Ali" he blurts out. "It's
all because of him."
A white man shouts back. "What has Ali
got to do with the fact that my mother
can't get a surgery?"
Well, there is a shortage of money, says
the salesman, "There is too much pres‑
sure on the system because of ", stutter,
stutter, stutter. "Ali".
Ali at the back mutters shyly. "But I am
a doctor."
An alert audience has seen vast sums
being passed on to a man in a pin stripe
suit by the very same salesman. A howl of
protest goes up. "You said you had no
money."
"He is the CEO of a major tech company
‑‑ he is a job creator" says the salesman.
Wealthy corporations need massive tax
cuts for this reason, he says.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Boris Johnson and the Tories will of
course mount a resounding rebuttal, but
they do not seem to have a case which
can be encapsulated like Jeremy
Corbyn's. The Right, it was said, has to
make up in style what it lacks in sub‑
stance.
In the British context, The Spectator
and The New Statesman were cited as
examples of the Right having more head
and the Left more heart. But those were
days when debate was civilized.
After the first Boris Johnson‑Jeremy
Corbyn debate three weeks before the
elections, the media commentariat has
been even handed. They gave victory to
neither. They did not take into account
Tories fixing a twitter account to boost
debate ratings. This "balance" would
appear to be a tilt in favour of Corbyn,
mentioned the Labour leader's name
without shrugging his shoulders and
wincing. Such gestures would certainly
touch the right chords with the establish‑
ment that keeps Watson buoyant.
Boris is not exactly an adorable charac‑
ter. He is Prime Minister without having
been elected as one.
A reputation for lying, inflating expense
accounts, making merry with the rich on
the Continent, looking lost at airports
after late night binges, public quarrels
with girlfriend and so much more ‑‑ all
these the establishment will overlook if
only Johnson can help abort the Corbyn
project.
Look at the contrast. Corbyn has
reached out much more elegantly for
sub‑continental support. The Labour
party has promised in its election mani‑
festo something Indians have been
demanding for some time: an of ficial
apology for the Jalianwala Bagh mas‑
sacre.
That is why the December election is
not just a Brexit election as the British
see it. The outcome will tilt the global
balance one way or the other. Two com‑
peting forces, in a general sort of way,
are Progressivism and an ultra‑right
global coalition which I call Bannonism.

The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
US Senator Bob Menendez.
Newark, NJ: The Sikh community
ce le brated the 550th birth
anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev
ji, the founder of the religion, at
the New Jersey Performance Arts
Center in Newark here on
November 23.
Around 3500 people attended
the 4‑hour‑long event themed
ʻOnenessʼ to reflect the Sikh
Many nominations,
but only one Emmy
goes to India
Nawazuddin Siddiqui accepted the Best Drama Series
Emmy award for McMafia.
New York: Nawazuddin Siddiqui‑
starrer McMafia won the Best
Drama Series award at the 47th
International Emmy Awards at
the Hilton New York on Monday.
However, the Cuba Pictures‑
produced British crime drama
TV series edged out Netflix's
Sacred Games ̶ India's entry in
the category and also starring
the 45‑year‑old actor. While
Siddiqui was cast as Indian busi‑
nessman Dilly Mahmoo d in
McMafia, he played gangster
COMMUNITY
NJ hosted tristateʼs biggest Guru
Nanak birth anniversary celebration
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy wearing a turban and flanked by
Hoboken City Mayor Ravi Bhalla, and New Jersey State Attorney General
Gurbir Singh Grewal at the event. (Photos SnapsIndia/Mohammed Jaffer)
founderʼs core teaching. T he Gurbir Sing h Grewal, Mayor
audience was touched by the col‑ Ravinder Bhalla and many coun‑
orful background of the stage cilmen.
reflecting Sikh history, speeches The event was organized by
by eminent people and musical Letʼs Share a Meal in collabora‑
performances. tion with the Sikh Chamber of
The list of dignitaries gracing Commerce Global (SACC), Dhan
the event included US Senator Guru Nanak Jatha and SAVA to
Bob Menendez, stateʼs Governor celebrate Guru Nanakʼs teachings
Phil Murphy, Attorney General of “Oneness”̶equality of all
Indian Crosswords League debuts in US
Organizers and winners of the New Jersey round of the League
Princeton, NJ: Indian Crosswords
League, started in India in 2013
by Extra‑C, a Patna‑based civil
society initiative, made its entry
in the United States when Extra‑C
and Bihar‑Jharkhand Association
of North America (BJANA) organ‑
ized the New Jersey round of the
Ganesh Gaitonde in Sacred League at the Princeton Public
Games, which stars Saif Ali Khan Library on November 24.
in the lead role. Participation and support from
Sacred Games aside, India did Indian community for this event
have multiple nominations this was strong, with families and
year including Netflix anthology kids coming from all across New
Lust Stories (Best TV Jersey and New York City.
Movie/Mini‑Series) (Best Actress T he enthusiasm and excite‑
for Radhika Apte), reality show ment among the kids was a sight
The Remix (Best Non‑Scripted to watch. The format of this cryp‑
Entertainment) and Witness: tic crossword challenge being all‑
India's Forbidden Love (Best inclusive, it even gave parents a
Documentary). But there were chance to participate.
no wins. The event was graced by FIA
President Alok Kumar, BJANA
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
races, genders, and religions̶
that form the very foundation of
the Sikh faith.
Senator Menendez spoke about
his role in US Senate to promote
and protect minorities. He pre‑
sented US flags to organizers of
the event.
Governor Murphy, wearing a
turban, said, “New Jersey wel‑
comes the diversity and is proud
that Sikhs have found it as their
home.” He assured the safety of
all sections of society.
Attorney General Grewal, the
first Indian‑American in that high
position, said he was proud to be
a member of law enforcement
and touched on the basic teach‑
ings of Guru Nanak.
Comedian and political com‑
mentator Hasan Minhaj as
keynote speaker entertained the
crowd.
The event started with a Color
guard ceremony led by Colonel
Kamal Singh Kalsi, co‑founder
and president of the Sikh
American Veterans Alliance
President Vinay Singh and Shashi
Sinha, Ex‑President BJANA.
Princeton‑based Aprajita Jha
helped the organizers with logis‑
tics of this prestigious venue for
the event which was organized
smoothly under the direction of
Alok Kashyap and Vikash Jha.
Pankaj Mohan contributed with
a generous donation towards the
event. Media coverage for this
prog ram was provided by a
cross‑section of media outlets
including TV Asia, Parikh Media
Worldw ide, T he South Asian
Times.
And India LifeTV.
Following an independent eval‑
uation process, three winners
were announced. First prize went
to Aniruddh Janardhan Raman, a
student from IIM Kolkata, cur‑
rently in New York City for an
15
(SAVA).
Satpal Sing h from London
spoke on the basic teachings of
Guru Nanak and how to become
a lifelong student (the meaning
of Sikh) and build oneʼs self‑
esteem. He also led a brief medi‑
tation.
The IKIGAI Group gave a the‑
ater performance entitled, “Kal
Taran Guru Nanak Aaiyaʼ, reflect‑
ing the message Guru Nanak
spread to humanity. Another
presentation was based on the
divine journey of the Guru from
his birthplace, Nankana to
Kartarpur, his last abode.
Gagandeep Singh and Jashon
Singh gave a musical perform‑
ance on rabab and tabla, even as
sand art ist from Sing apore,
Lawrence Koh, created the
“Sacha Sauda” tableau.
Various community members
were honored for their key role
and contribution to the Oneness
event.
Harmeet Kaur of CNN was the
master of ceremonies.
academic exchange program.
Princeton‑based Chandra
Shekhar, a technologist‑turned‑
writer/journalist bagged the sec‑
ond prize whereas the third prize
went to Metuchen, NJ‑based
technologist from IIT, Sanjeet
Singh.
Winners provided insights on
how they developed interest in
crosswords and how their gener‑
al reading of all types of news
and literature as well as their
conscious ef fort to build good
vocabulary over several years
helped them ace crossword chal‑
lenges including cryptic cross‑
words.
A book written by Mr. Vivek
Kumar Singh, Understanding
Cryptic Crosswords, was also
awarded to each winner along
with attractive prizes.
 16 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Indian web shows get set Actors who call

for the next level the shots in 2019
L
ights! Camera!
Action!" yells the
director, to get the
actors going in front of
the camera. But then,
actors have often given in
to the creative urge of
getting behind the cam‑
era, too, to call the shots.
There is a new breed
emerging this year, of
actors taking to direction.
These are actors who are
not necessarily main‑
stream. Rather, they have
belonged to the fringes of
commercial Bollywood
before making a mark
with the megaphone.
Seema Pahwa,
Tannishtha Chatterjee
and Anshuman Jha are
Actor‑turned‑director Seema Pahwa.
The star cast of ʻSacred Games Season 2ʼ. prominent names.
Actress Seema Pahwa, courted the commercial

S
acred Games”, starring Saif Ali Khan and because it will be actor Abhishek Bachchan's foray who is best remembered for her Bollywood spotlight, but is all set
Nawazuddin Siddiqui, was brought back by into the digital space. role of Badki in the serial "Hum to direct his brand of film, is
Netflix India this year owing to the huge suc‑ "Mirzapur 2", starring Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal, Log" that ran in eighties' Anshuman Jha. The actor who
cess of season one. The crime thriller isn't the only is expected to arrive in 2020. "Four More Shots Doordarshan, recently directed was noticed in films like "Love
Indian web show that got renewed for a new season. Please 2" and Zoya Akhtar's "Made in Heaven 2" have the comedy film "Ramprasad Ki Sex Aur Dhoka" and "Fugly",
There are other shows that have cleared the "acid test also been announced. Tehrvi", which is inspired by a recently announced his directori‑
of content", too. Cricket‑themed "Selection Day", The trend of renewals can be seen on Ekta Kapoor's real‑life story. al debut with the film "Lord
focusing on the stories of Radha and Manju, returned ALTBalaji too. The movie was screened at the Curzon Ki Haveli", touted as a
to Netflix in April. Some found it just "okay", others "We have around 50 original web series and the recent Jio MAMI 21st Mumbai black comedy. The film will fea‑
thought the drama was inspiring. highest number of sequels for them so far, starting Film Festival with Star and gar‑ ture Arjun Mathur and
Amazon Prime is also bringing back some of its hit with the critically‑acclaimed 'Broken…But Beautiful', nered a standing ovation. Tannishtha.
shows ‑‑ "Inside Edge" being one of them, and its on November 27, which depicted the journey of Veer The year 2019 also marked Directing "Manikarnika" seems
actress Richa Chadha has promised her fans that the and Sameera and their life of heartbreak,ʼ an actress Tannishtha Chatterjee's to have boosted Kangana
new season has a much more gripping and power‑ ALTBalaji spokesperson told IANS. Other shows in the debut as director with "Roam Ranaut's confidence. She had
packed storyline. pipeline, which are set for a new season are "Kehne Rome Mein", which stars announced her second film as
"Breathe 2" is another show the viewers are eagerly Ko Humsafar Hain season 3", "Baarish 2", Nawazuddin Siddiqui. director ‑‑ an epic action drama
waiting for, not only because of its content but also "PuncchBeat 2" and "Gandii Baat Season 4". Another actor who never really to be mounted on a large scale.

Unsung saga of melody queen Lata

By Archana Sharma her. I just played and went back to so, was found sitting in back row as
my sister's house on Napean Sea she sang her choicest songs. He

L
egendary playback singer Lata
Mangeshkar recently turned
90 and while the varied
melodies of the life and career of the
Nightingale of India are known, less‑
er known is her closeness to cricket,
in particular, one cricketing figure ‑‑
player‑turned‑administrator Raj
Singh Dungarpur. According to a
biography of the late Ranji player,
BCCI President and national selector
by Samar Singh and Harsh Vardhan,
former Union Minister N.K.P. Salve,
who was President of Board for
Control of Cricket in India (BCCI)
from 1982‑85, revealed that when it
came to reward the team that won
the World Cup in 1983, "Raj Singh
came up with a brilliant idea of
requesting Lata Mangeshkar to do a
musical programme in Delhi to raise
money for the purpose, as the BCCI
was not flush with funds in those
days."
"Lataji agreed and helped raise a
substantial amount that enabled the
Road. "But her family must have dis‑
cussed that I had come, so she said,
we must offer him a cup of tea. I was
invited to come up. I can't remember
if it was raining. She was utterly
charming; she came to see me off
and gave me her car. They were cele‑
brating 'nariyal poornima' shortly
and she invited my brother and me
for dinner. Everybody was quite
crazy about cricket and I was just a
Ranji Trophy player. Sopan Sardesai
Lata Mangeshkar with Raj Singh Dungarpur. and the Mangeshkar family lived in
Nana Chowk, in what would be per‑
BCCI to reward each player of the playing cricket. He told me that the haps little above a chawl. From there
winning team with Rs 1 lakh which only place that you get to play was at she went to Walkeshwar and then to
was not a petty amount in those Walkeshwar House where Lata Peddar Road. That's how I started to
days," Salve said. Mangeshkar's brother and his know her. I went for a couple of her
On her 75th birthday in 2004, friends played tennis ball cricket. I recordings and so on."
Dungarpur paid tributes to the said I'm not bothered by who plays, Many residents of then Bombay,
melody queen and recalled how he but I have to be there. They (the close to Dungarpur, are in know of
came to know Lata Mangeshkar: Mangeshkars) used to stay in a two‑ the intimacy the two had.
"In 1959, could be August, I came bedroom flat in a building behind the In the 1970s, Lata was keen to
to Bombay to do law. I told Dilip Walkeshwar House. She was, in have an event in London. Dungarpur
Sardesai's first cousin, Sopan those days, I suppose recording all happened to be the person to organ‑
Sardesai, that I couldn't exist without day; nor was I hung up on seeing ize it at Albert Hall, and having done
would not let it be known who the
person behind the show was. Many
chided Dungarpur, a lifetime bache‑
lor, for having kept it a secret. He
lambasted them, in good humor,
explaining it was a friendship that
both of them nourished to the hilt.
To a score of press persons, who
invariably put questions, he would
react with smile, mixed with anguish,
that "I am already married... to crick‑
et," and would laugh loudly. The
London flat ‑‑ Lord's View ‑‑ over‑
looked the legendary cricket ground
and one would, in those days, watch
matches from its balcony. Dungarpur
owned it ‑‑ at the behest of Lata?
Both flew together business class on
Air India to London to stay there and
spend quality time.
In the late 1980s, a new marble
company was floated in Udaipur and
Dungapur was its chairman. Lata
was invited on its board.
So much out from all quarters, yet
so much remained behind curtains!
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ULTIMATE BOLLYWOOD Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 17

It's time for women to 'Pagalpanti': Not 'Pagal' enough

rule the animation world O
kay, you're not supposed to look for
a story. They don't want you to look
for logic either ("zaroori nahi hai ki
har cheez ka matlab ho," declares John
Abraham in the climax ‑‑ is that supposed to
be the film's message?).
In the Anees Bazmee dictionary of slapstick,
the words sense and sensibility failed to find
space a long time ago. You are
supposed to go in suspending
all disbelief quite wilfully, and Review
lap up whatever is tossed your
way in the name of entertainment.
Thrown in are some high‑voltage action
and car chases, lots of naaach‑gaana and a
cool foreign locale to complete the picture.
For added effect, Bazmee's fetish with animal
Hollywood animation is breaking longstanding stereotypes, jokes continues (this time there's a gag
and writing new stories high on women power. involving African lions). It's all there, duly
moronic bunch. They are Raj, Junky and
Chandu respectively, who end up causing
serious damages to a couple of gangsters,
Raja Bhai (Saurabh Shukla) and his brother‑
in‑law WiFi Bhai (Anil Kapoor). The gangsters
won't spare them now, unless they agree to
work for them.
With a plot that is neither coherent nor
consistent, Bazmee and his cre‑
ative team have tried positioning
"Pagalpanti" as an action comedy.
Technically, this is a glossy film ‑‑
like most commercial Bollywood fare these
days. Sunil Patel's camerawork is effective,
though Prashant Singh Rathore's editing
could have been tighter. The runtime needed
to be shorter.
The casting looks predictable, though the
actors still remain the best part of the film.

I
n Hollywood's animation world, the
damsels aren't in distress anymore,
waiting for Prince Charming to arrive
and rescue them. Neither are they waiting
for Prince Charming to sweep them off
their feet, or put on a glass slipper, or
climb golden mane to rescue them from a
tower or for that magical, true love's kiss
to break a spell. Hollywood animation is
breaking longstanding stereotypes, and
writing new stories high on women power.
What ties "Mulan", "Moana", "Brave",
"Zootopia" and "Frozen" together? They
challenge the traditional way to look at
fairytales, and give a gender neutral lens
to look at the story.
"Frozen" co‑director Jennifer Lee, who
put sisterhood first in the line of love, and
redefined the "act of true love" in the film,
says they are still fairytales, in which they
are trying to flip those tropes.
Asked about women power shining
bright in animated films, Lee said: "I don't
think I can break it down to one thing like
that. I think every film is very different.
packed and sealed in the standard formula The film's leading ladies stick to the glam‑
They reflect the filmmaker themselves,
box of Bollywood, and guaranteed to keep the our cliches of Bollywood ‑– which is unimagi‑
they reflect the time they were made in.
opening weekend buzz intact. native actually, at a time when the entire
And so for me, the best thing is when peo‑
John Abraham, Arshad Warsi and Pulkit idiom that defines the Bollywood heroine is
ple get different things out of them. I'm
Samrat – the three heroes ‑‑ are pictured as a changing.
very nostalgic for a lot of classic films for
many different reasons. Mostly to do with
perseverance in the strength to go on
through hard times, and stay true to your‑
self that resonated with me as I grew up."
Lee became the first woman to direct a
Disney animated feature with "Frozen" in
2013. She shared directing duties with
Chris Buck. She became the first female
director to helm a billion dollar film, with
"Frozen" becoming the highest‑grossing
animated film before remake of "The Lion
King" took that position in 2019.
"Frozen" challenges the notion that "true
act of love should only be about prince
charming", but can be love with anyone
close to you.
"It was an interesting the concept start‑
ed by Chris long ago," Lee shared.
At the moment, Lee and Buck are look‑ The cast ‑‑ actors Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, John Abraham, Illeana D'Cruz,
Anil Kapoor and Urvashi Rautela ‑‑ of “Pagalpanti”.
ing forward to the release of "Frozen 2".

Nawazuddin: Don't New Yorkers have fun at Kher's

believe in tags like star laughter therapy session
H
e started his Bollywood career with
minute, blink‑and‑miss roles in films
like "Sarfarosh", "Shool" and "Munna
Bhai MBBS". It almost took him 12 years of
struggle to prove his mettle and
find a role worth note . That
was Anurag Kashyap's "Gangs
Of Wasseypur", the film that
came and changed his fate.
Since then, Nawazuddin
Siddiqui has been soaring with
every role ‑‑ be it "Badlapur",
"Raees", "Raman Raghav 2.0",
"Thackeray", "Manto" or
"Sacred Games".
Today, Nawazuddin enjoys a
"Real actors are those who do different
types of roles, but when you get trapped in
the 'star' category, you often end up facing
stereotyping. All these things like 'star' and
'superstar' are just marketing
strategies. That's why I don't
like being called as a star," he
added.
Nawazuddin also feels that
the "star" tag curbs growth of
an actor.
"I won't be stuck in a comfort
zone. It is very important for
actor to do something beyond
his or her comfort zone. I want
to be versatile. If I start consid‑ Veteran Actor Anupam Kher is enjoying his new role as a life coach in New York.

fiercely loyal fan following, but
he does not like to be catego‑
Nawazuddin enjoys a
rized as a "star".
fiercely loyal fan following. hamper my skills and growth
"I don't like to call myself a
star. I do not believe in such tags. After being
recognised as a star, superstar or megastar,
the industry stereotypes artistes and make
them do the same things," Nawazuddin told
IANS, spreading his arms out in Shah Rukh
Khan's signature style, in what seemed like a
clear dig at typical hero roles.
V
er myself a star then I might
eteran Actor Anupam Kher seems to There is so much zeal in people to be happy
become proud, and this can
be enjoying his new role as a life and the Laugh Out Loud sessions give them
coach in New York. The 64‑year‑old the chance to do that. It was all the more spe‑
as an artiste," he said.
conducts laughter therapy in the city. cial because it was the last session of this sea‑
After back‑to‑back intense roles in "Manto",
Recently, around 100 New Yorkers braved son," said Kher.
"Thackeray" and "Sacred Games", the 45‑year‑
the sub‑zero temperatures to attend a thera‑ With a body of work of over 500 films,
old decided to shift gear and try rom‑com. He
py session of Kher, hosted by Riverside Park Kher has made his mark in Bollywood and
recently featured in the comedy drama
Conservancy. has also worked in Hollywood. His new film
"Motichoor Chaknachoor". He will next be
"It was so heartwarming to see people turn "Hotel Mumbai" is scheduled to open on
seen in "Bole Chudiyan".
up even though the cold was unbearable. November 29.
 18 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
New Delhi: ʻWhat others see as
trash, I see as artʼ, is the philoso‑
phy that drove American‑born
artist Christina Banerjee to cre‑
ate artworks from discarded
objects like metal wires, nuts,
and bolts, rusted keys, and horse‑
shoes.
Banerjee, a fine arts graduate
from the University of South
Alabama in the US, is now settled
in Delhi and turns her observa‑
tions of social life around her
into recycled sculptures and
expressive paintings that narrate
the story of human‑animal con‑
flict in urban areas.
“I have been interested in the
old rejected articles since I was
little. I started to create heavy
and complicated pieces using
recycled metal and material,”
Christina said, adding that she
collects her material through her
neighborhood walks, and started
to notice worsening pollution
and landfill garbage during
those.
Through her digital exhibition,
which showcases the beauty
within peeling paint and rusted,
decaying objects, the artist also
highlights the forced ʻadaptationʼ
animals and birds have to go
through, owing to uncontrolled
human greed.
India training Afghan Army
women officers on military ops
FEATURES
India based American artist
upcycles trash to art
Christina Banerjee’s sculptures and paintings narrate
the story of human‐animal conflict in urban areas
through which she makes a bold statement to
persuade residents to curb garbage pollution.
Christina
Banerjeeʼs
''Indian
Scooter''
Christina
Banerjee
''Where's
my
dinner''
Her paintings, especially her ing face of urban environs. A guin returning to his natural
series on sparrows, monkeys, moving work of art titled ʻHome habitat only to find it ridden with
and elephants, show the chang‑ Sweet?ʼ shows a desolate pen‑ junk and debris.
New Delhi: The Indian Army is training
Afghan National Army's 20 women of fi‑
cers at Of ficers Training Academy,
Chennai, for combat operations on a big‑
ger scale, sources said on Monday.
The training will continue till December
21 and Afghan women of ficers would
train in small and big military operations,
including anti‑terror action.
"The training capsule is designed to
empower their capabilities so that they
can tackle any adversary," said a senior
Indian Army officer, adding the capsule is
especially designed for them as their coun‑
try is already fighting a war with the
Taliban. Once the US withdraws from
Afghanistan, the Afghan National Army
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Christina
Banerjee
''Trainspotter''
Christina Banerjee
''Raj Hathi II
(Royal Elephant)''
The exhibits can be viewed
online at the artistʼs website
ChristinaBanerjee.com.
would have to defend their nation against
Taliban terrorists.
This is the third year that a batch of 20
women of ficers is being trained. Seeing
the capabilities of the women officers, the
Indian Army has designed a training mod‑
ule to further enhance their capabilities.
The women officers in Afghanistan are
not sent to forward locations and are lim‑
ited to administrative works.
But this training would help these offi‑
cers to break the tradition, said India
Army officers.
In a bid to enhance the capabilities of
their soldiers, Afghanistan is sending their
officers to get the best training under mili‑
tary diplomacy mechanism.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
‘The Panama Papers’ and the
widening rich-poor divide in India
The Panama Papers expose revealed how the rich and the powerful were
able to conveniently bypass their social obligations, get away with tax
avoidance and tax evasion, and hide their wealth in offshore entities.
I
t is only recently that a broadly global
consensus has been reached in favor of
bridging the rich‑poor (read few versus
many) divide through progressive taxation
to make the wealthy meet their social
responsibilities. Evidently, not everybody
buys into that consensus yet and that is why
tax havens and the allied financial services
industry remain in business.
The Panama Papers revealed how the rich
and the powerful were able to conveniently
bypass their social obligations, get away
with tax avoidance and tax evasion, and hide
their wealth in offshore entities. Not just in
India, in most countries including the US,
acquiring of f‑the‑shelf companies in tax
havens or floating of fshore entities is not
illegal. Referring to the ''information dump''
from Panama a day after publication on 5
April 2016, then US president Barack
Obama said: ''Tax avoidance is a big global
problem. It's not unique to other countries,
because, frankly, there are folks here in
America who are taking advantage of the
same stuf f. A lot of it is legal, but that's
exactly the problem.'' While the rich with
access to a battery of smart lawyers are able
to exploit legal loopholes and avoid paying
tax, the middle‑class invariably ends up
playing by the rules and shelling out its due.
Obama was probably referring to the sen‑
timents on the ground in the US. In develop‑
ing countries like India, rising inequality is
felt acutely given the size of the population
and the lack of employment opportunities.
In a recent working paper, ''Indian Income
Inequality, 1922‑2014: From British Raj to
Billionaire Raj'', Lucas Chancel and Thomas
Piketty estimate that the worse hit in India
during the last 35 years has been the middle
class. It captured just 23 per cent share of
the total national growth during 1980‑
2014, less than the 29 per cent share cap‑
tured by the top 1 per cent. This, Chancel
and Piketty claim, is the lowest share ever
for the middle‑income group since 1922.
The Indian middle class share also com‑
pares poorly with that of its counterpart in
China (43 per cent) and the US (33 per cent).
Since the 1980s, India has been shining
mostly for the rich (top 10 per cent of the
income group) who cornered two‑thirds of
the total national growth. While Chancel
and Piketty's findings may be contested,
there is little dispute that the rich are get‑
ting richer and the gap between the rich and
the poor is widening.
No doubt, rising inequality is a global chal‑
lenge. But if the middle class, which strongly
influences national opinion in India is
pushed to the wall, it can have dangerous
socio‑political consequences. For the ordi‑
nary person, it is particularly dif ficult to
digest the Panama Papers revelations, since
BOOK EXTRACT
Papers underline how India's well‑heeled set
up multilayered offshore structures to take
money out of India. For most, the intention
was to avoid taxes. Tax evasion is illegal, for
sure. But tax avoidance, often materialized
by taking advantage of existing laws and the
loopholes therein, is not illegal, and yet it is
not morally defensible in a society with ris‑
ing inequality.
A closer scrutiny of the Indian Budget
2018‑19 throws up some interesting fig‑
ures. Out of a sample size of 6,08,836 com‑
panies, only 335 registered profit before tax
of Rs 500 crore or more. Their share in total
income was more than 50 per cent, and
accounted for almost two‑thirds of the profit
before tax of all companies. But the effective
tax rate for these companies was the lowest
at 26.89 per cent.
Revenue foregone in the form of incen‑
tives and tax exemptions to corporates
jumped to Rs 93,643 crore in 2017‑18 and
further to Rs 1,08,785 crore in 2018‑19.
Tax avoidance hurts in a low‑to‑middle
"The Panama Papers" by Ritu Sarin, Jay income country like India, particularly when
Mazoomdaar & P. Vaidyanathan (Penguin the bottom of the pyramid is languishing.
Random House India) has just hit the Ultimately, to gain the confidence of the
bookstores. Here are extracts from the people, the political class needs to look with‑
book courtesy of IANS.
in and come clean on election funding.
she cannot help but feel frustrated by the Successive governments have turned a blind
vulnerability of the very legal framework eye to an expenditure item ‑ elections ‑ that
she so meticulously abides by. Worse still, a thrives on unaccounted income or black
lack of action might only serve to reinforce a money. Abuse of money power and the high
view that neither does the government walk cost of elections were two of the most
the talk on black money and corruption, nor important aspects flagged by the M.N.
is it serious about addressing the rising Venkatachaliah‑led National Commission to
inequalities. Review the Working of the Constitution that
Ag ainst this backdrop (of skewered studied the working of political parties and
incomes), the revelations in the Panama the electoral processes in 2002. For Lok
As part of the Washington based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists,
Ritu Sarin and her team at Indian Express investigated over 500 Indians named in
leaked documents revealing their offshore accounts, in what is called the Panama
Papers. The story went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. Indian Express team of Ritu Sarin
(Executive Editor‑Investigations), P. Vaidyanathan Iyer (left ‑ Executive Editor‑National
Affairs) and Jay Mazoomdaar (an investigative reporter) have now published a book.
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 19
Sabha elections, candidates cannot spend
more than Rs 70 lakh, and for assembly
elections, the spending limit is Rs 28 lakh.
But these limits are hardly in sync with the
reality of the day, and probably are just a
fraction of the money actually being spent.
The high cost of contesting elections
makes politicians or lawmakers depend on
corporate funding. Businesses sponsor elec‑
tions, and expect a return on their invest‑
ment. There are many instances of the
Election Commission of India seizing crores
of rupees from persons close to political par‑
ties or from politicians themselves during
election season. Black money is also one of
the biggest hurdles in the way of free and
fair elections, the most important touch‑
stone of a democracy. Cumulative spending
by candidates of all political parties during
the 2014 Lok Sabha elections was estimated
at Rs 30,000 crore by the think tank Centre
for Media Studies. A look at the assets of
MPS and MLAs of various states reveals
their ability to spend, which often deter‑
mines their winnability.
To discourage the use of black money in
elections, the NDA government notified elec‑
toral bonds in January 2018. In their pres‑
ent form, they are a baby step in bringing
some transparency to an otherwise com‑
pletely opaque election‑funding process.
They do ensure flow of funds to political
parties through the banking channel. But
they also allow anonymity to donors, which
goes against the grain of real transparency.
It is quite possible that individuals may set
up a complex web of shell companies or
even offshore entities to buy electoral bonds
to fund political parties of their choice. As a
starting point, the Supreme Court asked all
political parties on 12 April 2019 to submit
details related to donors, money received
and other specifics, to the Elect ion
Commission. The apex court said in its inter‑
im order: ''All that we would like to state for
the present is that the rival contentions give
rise to weighty issues which have a tremen‑
dous bearing on the sanctity of the electoral
process in the country.''
In an ideal democracy, every donation,
particularly corporate funding, to political
parties should be made public. Every corpo‑
ration should make full disclosure about
political donations to its shareholders. The
voters too have a right to know who funds
the party they vote for. Electoral bonds, in
their present form, continue to perpetuate a
veil of secrecy on election funding. Few
developed countries allow such luxury,
because corruption thrives in that secrecy
and gains its symbiotic strength, becoming
invincible.
If politics is not transparent, businesses
will never be.
 20 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 SUBCONTINENT TheSouthAsianTimes.info

CPEC to inflict heavy debt Postpone verdict in

burden on Pakistan: US
Washington/Islamabad: The US
has warned that the China‑
Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) would only bene fit
Beijing and inflict heavy debt
burden on Islamabad.
Addressing a gathering at the
Wilson Center, a Washington
think‑tank, US South Asia
Assistant Secretary Alice Wells
said the multi‑billion‑dollar proj‑
ect would take a toll on
Pakistan's economy, Dawn
reported.
Wells emphasized the CPEC
was not an aid to Pakistan but a
form of financing that guaran‑
teed profits for Chinese enter‑
prises, with little benefits for
Islamabad.
"The CPEC's most expensive
single project is upgrading the
railway from Karachi to
Peshawar. When the project was
initially announced, the cost was
set at $8.2 billion," she said.
But in October 2018, Pakistan's
Railways Minister announced
that they had negotiated the cost
down to $6.2 billion, a saving of
$2 billion, she said. "He
explained that Pakistan is a poor
country and can't af ford this
US South Asia Assistant
Secretary Alice Wells.
huge burden of loans," the US
diplomat said.
But according to recent media
reports the price had risen to $9
billion, she said. "So, why doesn't
the Pakistani public know the
price for CPEC's most expensive
project or how it's being deter‑
mined?"
The US diplomat pointed to the
long‑term e f fects of China's
"financing practices" and urged
Islamabad to assess "the burdens
that are falling on the new gov‑
ernment". T he current de bt
included an estimated $15 bil‑
lion to the Chinese government
and $6.7 billion in Chinese com‑
mercial debt, the diplomat said.
Wells asserted that China was
providing loans, not grants, as
the US.
"It's clear or needs to be clear
that the CPEC is not about aid.
This is almost always the form of
loans or other forms of financing,
often non‑concessional with sov‑
ereign guarantees or guaranteed
profits for Chinese state‑owned
enterprises that are repatriated
to China," she said.
"Now, together with non‑CPEC
Chinese debts payments, China is
going to take a growing toll on
the Pakistan economy, especially
when the bulk of payment starts
to come due in the four‑six
years."
Even if loan payments were
deferred, she said, "they are
going to hang over Pakistan's
economic development potential,
hamstringing Prime Minister
(Imran) Khan's reform agenda."
Musharraf treason
case: Pak govt to court
Islamabad: T he Pakistan
Tehreek‑e‑Insaf (PTI) govern‑
ment requested the
Islamabad High Court to stop
a special court from
announcing its verdict in a
treason case against former
military dictator Pervez
Musharraf.
In its petition, Pakistan's
foreign ministry requested
that the verdict in the high
treason case be held back
until a new prosecution team
is formed, Samaa TV report‑
ed.
A similar petition was filed
by Musharraf separate ly Former military dictator
requesting the Lahore High Pervez Musharraf.
Court to suspend the special
court's reserved verdict which was Court? and Musharraf is a resident
heard recently. of Islamabad ‑ how is the petition
T he Lahore Hig h Court has maintainable in Lahore?
asked Musharraf's lawyer to pres‑ Musharraf 's lawyer, Khwaja
ent two‑point statements and Ahmed Tariq Rahim said that since
assist the court regarding the Musharraf is out of the country for
maintainability of the petition. The his treatment he can't appear
court instructed him to present his before the court.
arguments on the following points: The special court had reserved
How can the LHC hear the petition its verdict on November 19 and
if there are proceedings against said that it will be announced on
Musharraf ongoing in the Supreme November 28.

Lanka President appoints Is Pakistan's oil & gas

interim cabinet,
fixes early election
Colombo: Sri Lanka
President appointed an
interim cabinet with 15
ministers and vowed to
hold Parliament election at
an earliest date that the
constitution would allow.
Fifteen ministers, includ‑
ing his elder brother and
Prime Minister, Mahinda
Rajapaksa, were sworn in
before President Gotabaya
Rajapaksa on November 22
morning. Though the care‑
taker government could
continue till August 2020,
it is to be dissolved early
March and go for a parlia‑
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa
mentary election in April.
also promised a fresh probe into the
"We will go for an earli‑
est possible election that
the constitution allows to
get a mandate for a stronger
government," President
Rajapaksa told after appointing
the cabinet.
Former Premier Ranil
Wickremesinghe resigned after
the election defeat of his party's coordinated attacks killed more
candidate Sajith Rajapaksa, and
made way for Rajapaksa to
form a caretaker government
migrating to Indian side?
Islamabad: Is Pakistan's oil gripping Pakistan are energy
and gas "migrating to the imports. "This dependence
Indian side", a do cument on energy import has crip‑
authored by a Pakistani pled Pakistan. Meet ing
expert has asked, adding that almost 85 percent of the
while Pakistan has been energ y demand throug h
ignoring the hydrocarbon imports weighs heavily on
reserves in its area bordering Pakistan's trade and current
Rajasthan, India has been account deficit".
producing 1,75,000 barrels The document charts out a
per day (BPD) from the area. roadmap for exploration of
According to the hydrocarbons to make the
Hydro carbon Explorat ion country self‑suf ficient and
Pakistanʼs oil and gas explorations firms
Licensing Policy (HELP) doc‑ set it on a new trajectory of
are not active in the area close
ument, authored by energy economic growth.
to the Indo‑Pak border.
expert Engineer Arshad H T he total oil resource
Abbasi, the Indian state of the area close to the Indo‑Pak potential is 27 billion barrels
Rajasthan has "gained promi‑ border. while the indigenous production
nence after the discovery of oil" "As Pakistan's companies are is 86,032 barrels per day.
by India and currently produces not exploring and producing oil "The biggest issue in realizing
1,75,000 bpd. and gas in districts Sanghar, this potential has been a lack of
Easter Sunday bombings. T he basin, especially the Sukkur, Ghotki, Kasur, commitment at the national level.
Jaisalmer Basin has resources Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar As of April 2017, an area of
until the next election.
with a potential of 7.8 billion Khan, the question arises as to around 361,218.72 sq km out of
Also, President Rajapaksa
barrels. It says that Cairn India is whether Pakistan's oil and gas a total sedimentary area of
promised a fresh probe on the
planning to "invest an additional migrating to the Indian‑side?' 827,268 sq. km has been under
Easter Sunday attack on April
$5.4 billion" to increase the pro‑ Indeed this should be of primary explorat ion for oil and g as
21 carried out by eight local
duction. The company plans to concern to the prime minister, throughout the country. Yet only
suicide bombers from a local
drill more than 450 wells over Ministry of Defense and Ministry 27,710 sq km located in Khyber
Islamic extremist group. The
the next three years along the of Finance & Ministry of Pakhtunkhwa has been explored.
Pakistani border. Petroleum," the News This shows that since independ‑
than 250 locals and foreign
HELP says that the oil and gas International reported. ence, only 27 per cent of the area
tourists at three hotels and
explorat ions companies of It says one of the fundamental of KPK has been explored for oil
churches and injured over 400.
Pakistan have not been active in causes of the economic crisis and gas.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info INTERNATIONAL Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 21

China says attempts to British PM vows to table

destabilize Hong Kong will fail 'Get Brexit Done'
Tokyo/Beijing: China's Foreign Minister Pro‑democracy candidates won at least
Wang Yi said that any attempt to under‑ 388 of 452 district council seats after the
mine the stability of Hong Kong was voting that saw a record 71.2‑percent
deal before Christmas
bound to fail. turnout of voters. London: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Johnson said Britain has been held back by
Wang Yi, who is in Tokyo after attend‑ The election results imply strong social launched the Conservative Party's election three‑and‑a‑half years by a broken parliament.
ing the G20 foreign support for groups manifesto, promising to put his "Get Brexit "We will get Brexit done and end the acrimo‑
ministers' summit in that mobilized mass Done" deal be fore parliament ahead of ny and despair," he said in a speech that made
the Japanese city of protests in Hong Christmas recess. constant references to Britain's EU member‑
Nagoya, made these Kong since June while Johnson travelled to Telford in central ship impasse.
remarks following the pro‑Beijing camp England where the Conservatives are bidding The manifesto says there will be a five‑year
the declaration of the suffered a serious set‑ to hold on to a marginal freeze on leve ls of
results of district back, being reduced seat in the December 12 income tax, Value Added
council elections in to just 59 seats. general e lect ion, the Tax (VAT, which adds up
the autonomous ter‑ Meanwhile, China's Xinhua news agency to 20 percent on the
ritory, Efe news nat ionalist Global reported. prices of goods and serv‑
reported. Times newspaper that With its Brexit theme, the ices), and Nat ional
"Any attempt to it had not been a land‑ Conservatives were the last Insurance contributions,
undermine the stabil‑ slide win for the pro‑ of the big political parties which funds the coun‑
ity and prosperity of democracy candidates to spell out to Britain's 46 try's health service.
Hong Kong will end as, in terms of per‑ million voters their plans if Describing the mani‑
in failure," warned centage of votes, the Johnson returns to 10 festo as moderate, com‑
Wang after a meet‑ China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi. difference was 57 per Downing Street after the pared to the main oppo‑
ing w ith Japanese cent against 41 per election. sition Labour Party plans
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Kyodo news cent or 1.67 million versus 1.2 million. The manifesto promises, for a massive spending
agency reported. However, the system used in these elec‑ if the Conservatives win, to spree, Johnson said
During his meeting with Abe to discuss tions is based on the simple majority: the put the Brexit deal before 50,000 new nurses and
Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming candidate with the most votes in each the House of Commons British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 20,000 more police will
state visit to Japan, the Japanese leader constituency is the one who gets the posi‑ ahead of parliament being be hired.
stressed the "importance of allowing tion. The newspapers citing experts said shut down for Christmas and New Year recess. There will also be more spending on infra‑
Hong Kong to flourish under the 'one the opposition's victory shows that citi‑ That will then pave the way for Britain's structure, science, and education, while at the
country, two systems' principle'". zens were dissatisfied with the perform‑ departure from the European Union (EU) on same time controlling debt.
District council elections in the former ance of the ruling party, but pointed out January 31, 2020. New polls continue to give the governing
British colony were held recently despite that the results "showed that there is still He described it as an "oven‑ready" deal, Conservatives a double‑digit lead over Labour.
ongoing demonstrations in the city since emotion within Hong Kong society, affect‑ already supported by Brussels and backed by Pollsters say if the results are mirrored in the
June. The polls served as a barometer to ing rational thinking over the key issue of every Conservative politician fighting in the December election, Johnson will return to 10
measure citizens' support for both the how the city should walk out of its cur‑ election. Johnson said it would see a tidal wave Downing Street as head of a majority govern‑
government and the protests. rent predicament". of investment into Britain. ment.

Netanyahu gets ʻWikiLeaks founder Julian

breather as Israel faces Assange could die in
political deadlock top‑security British jailʼ
Jerusalem: Israel's attorney general has or until he is convicted. No sitting pre‑
London: Over 60 doctors have written an
charged Prime Minister Benjamin mier in Israel has ever been indicted, and
open letter to British Interior Minister Priti
Netanyahu w ith bribery, fraud and therefore it is unclear how the High
Patel saying that the WikiLeaks founder
breach of trust in con‑ Court of Justice would
could die inside a top‑security jail.
nection with three sep‑ react to the many
The 48‑year‑old Australian is fighting a
arate cases, but due to appeals that w ill
US bid to extradite him from Britain on
the current political demand he resign.
charges filed under the Espionage Act that
deadlock it will proba‑ However, according
could see him given a sentence of up to 175
bly take several to legal experts, he
years in a US prison, media reports said.
months be fore the could be required to
The doctors have based their assessment
charges can be filed in immediate ly re lin‑
on “harrowing eyewitness accounts” of his
court. quish the four minis‑
October 21 court appearance in London
In the likely case that terial posts he cur‑
and a November 1 report by Nils Melzer,
no Knesset member rently holds.
the United Nations special rapporteur on
garners the support of Netanyahu holds the
torture.
60 in the next three agriculture, health,
The independent UN rights expert said
wee ks that would so cial af fairs and
Assangeʼs “continued exposure to arbitrari‑
allow him or her to diaspora af fairs port‑
ness and abuse may soon end up costing
take a shot at forming folios. According to
Israeli Prime Minister his life”.
a government, thus legal precedent, a min‑
Benjamin Netanyahu “We write this open letter, as medical doc‑
sending the country to ister cannot continue
tors, to express our serious concerns about
repeat e lect ions, the beg inning of to serve under indictment. Until 2005,
the physical and mental health of Julian
Netanyahu's trial could be delayed until lawmakers enjoyed automatic immunity,
Assange,” the doctors said in their 16‑page WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
late April, or even until the end of May, but the law has since changed and now a
open letter.
The Times of Israel reported. According parliamentarian who is about to be February. Sweden recently dropped the
They said they had “concerns about Mr
to Israeli law, Netanyahu can likely legal‑ indicted will need to convince colleagues investigation into the alleged rape involving
Assangeʼs fitness” to go through the full
ly continue serving as prime minister that he or she is deserving of procedural Assange due to weakening of evidence.
extradit ion hearing, which is set for
until he is replaced through an election immunity.
 22 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019
US‑China trade deal in its 'final throes', says Trump
Washington: The United States
and China are close to agreement
on the first phase of a trade deal,
US President Donald Trump said
on Tuesday, after top negotiators
from the two countries spoke by
telephone and agreed to keep
working on remaining issues.
Trump said Washington was in
the "final throes" of work on a
deal that would defuse a 16‑
month trade war with Beijing,
which has contributed to a slump
in China's industrial profits.
China announced on
Wednesday that its factories
recorded their steepest fall in
profits in eig ht months in
October, down 9.9 percent to
427.56 billion yuan ($60.74bn)
as slowing demand at home and
pressures from the trade war
dragged earnings down.
Trump said that a trade deal
was near, but also underscored
Washington's support for protest‑
ers in Hong Kong, a potential
Louis Vuitton to acquire
Tiffany for $16.2 billion
Paris/New York: Leading luxury
group Louis Vuitton that owns
brands like Dior and TAG Heuer has
entered into a definitive agreement
with global luxury jeweller Tiffany
to acquire it for $135 per share in
cash.
T he agreement has an equity
value of approximately $16.2 bil‑
lion (e14.7 billion).
T he acquisition has been
Sensex, Nifty hit record high
Mumbai: Sensex and Nifty on
Tuesday ended lower after
touching record highs earlier in
the day. Barring banks financial
sector stocks all the sectoral
indices ended in the red.
While the Sensex ended 67
points lower at 40,821.30, the
broader Nifty settled 36.05
points lower at 12,037.70. The
50‑scrip Nifty50 had hit its life‑
time high of 12,132.45, for the
first time after June.
Te lecom stocks also ended
with heavy losses after a govern‑
ment of ficial was reported say‑
ing that the Committee of
Secretaries (CoS) formed to sug‑
gest relief measure for strug‑
gling telecos, has been disband‑
ed. "Nifty finally managed to
touch new high today on the
back of strong global cues, FII
buying and improvement in mar‑
ket sentiments post slew of gov‑
The deal, if materializes, would defuse
a 16‑month trade war with Beijing.
huge sore point with China.
"We're in the final throes of a
very important deal, I guess you
could say one of the most impor‑
tant deals in trade ever. It's going
very well but at the same time we
want to see it go well in Hong
Kong," Trump told reporters at
the White House.
China said it had summoned US
Ambassador Terry Branstad to
protest the passage in the US
approved by both companies'
boards. "T he Tif fany Board of
Directors recommends that Tiffany
shareholders approve the transac‑
tion with LVMH," said the company
board.
"The acquisition will strengthen
LVMH's position in jewellery, and
further increase its presence in the
United States," the luxury group
said in a statement. "The addition of
ernment re forms," said
Sidd hartha Khemka, Head ‑
Retail research, Motilal Oswal
Financial Services Private.
Khemka added that the
Nifty50 valuation at 22x FY20 is
not cheap, but the current
momentum can sustain in the
near term on the back of liquidi‑
ty flows and positive sentiments.
The BSE Telecom index ended
BUSINESS
Cong ress of the Hong Kong
Human Rights and Democracy
Act, saying the bill amounted to
interference in a Chinese internal
matter.
Trump said that he had a very
good relationship with Chinese
President Xi Jinping and expected
him to ensure a positive outcome
in the Chinese‑ruled city of Hong
Kong, where pro‑democracy par‑
ties won almost 90 percent of
Tif fany will transform LVMH's
'Watches & Jewelry' division and
complement LVMH's 75 distin‑
guished Houses," it said.
As per the statement, the transac‑
tion is expected to close in the mid‑
dle of 2020 and is subject to "cus‑
tomary closing conditions, includ‑
ing approval from Tiffany's share‑
holders and the receipt of regulato‑
ry approvals".
nearly 5 per cent lower. Bharti
Airtel lost over 4 per cent and
Vodafone Idea tanked 10 per
cent. Dissolving the CoS would
mean that any further relief for
the telecom industry may only
come from the court in the
adjusted gross revenue (AGR)
case and the two‑year moratori‑
um would be all the government
is ready to offer at this point.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
452 district council seats in
Sunday's elections.
"I think that President Xi can
make that happen. I know him
and I know he'd like to make it
happen," Trump said, without
elaborating on what exactly he
expected Xi to do.
T he president said later on
Tuesday in an interview with for‑
mer Fox News host Bill O'Reilly
that he is holding up the trade
deal to ensure better terms for
the US.
"I'm holding it up because it's
got to be a good deal," he said in
the interview for O'Reilly's web‑
site. "We can't make a deal that's
like, even. We have to make a deal
where we do much better because
we have to catch up."
Trump's upbeat comments
about the trade talks lifted mar‑
kets, with Wall Street's three
largest indexes hitting all‑time
highs on Tuesday.
Asian shares followed these
Zee tanks 9% after
Subhash Chandra
quits as chairman
Mumbai: Although the
news of stake sale by
Subhash Chandra‑led
Essel group in Zee did
not have a negative
impact last week,
Chandra's stepping down
as chairman from the Zee
Board, appears to have
not gone down well with
the investors.
Zee stocks tanked nine
per cent to hit its intra‑
day low of Rs 312.5
apiece. Its scrips on the
BSE, however, recovered
slightly to trade at Rs
322.40, down by 6 per
cent.
Subhash Chandra, who
ushered the cable and
sate llite revolution,
announced late on
Monday that he would step down as
Zee's chairman.
"In light of the changes in share‑
holding, Subhash Chandra has
expressed his intention to resign as
Chairman of the Board with imme‑
diate ef fect...," Zee Entertainment
said in a regulatory filing.
Chandra, however, will continue
to be a non‑executive director of the
company, it added.
"The board accepted his resigna‑
tion and noted that it is in line with
the requirements of SEBI Listing
Regulations, which inter alia man‑
dates that the Chairperson of the
board shall not be related to the
Managing Director or the Chief
gains on Wednesday morning,
with MSCI's broadest index of
Asia Pacific shares outside Japan
up 0.14 percent. Japan's Nikkei
rose 0.41 percent while
Australian shares gained 0.46
percent.
Completion of a phase one deal
had been expected in November,
but trade experts and people
close to the White House said last
week it could slide into the new
year, given China's pressure for
more extensive tariff rollbacks.
This includes a 15 percent tariff
implemented on $125bn worth of
Chinese goods on September 1
and earlier 25 percent tarif fs
levied on industrial and consumer
imports to the US from China.
If a phase‑one deal does not
materialize before December 15,
Trump w ill have to choose
whether to carry out his previous
threat to impose 15 percent tar‑
if fs on some $160bn in imports
from China.
Subhash Chandra.
Executive Officer of the Company.
He will remain as Non‑Executive
Director of the Company," the regu‑
latory filing said.
Punit Goenka, Subhash Chandra's
son, is the current MD and CEO of
the company.
Last week, major global investors
had invested in Chandra‑led Essel
Group's stake sale of 16.5 per cent
in Zee Entertainment Enterprises,
after the promoters of the company
decided to sell major portions of its
stake.
The planned stake sale in ZEEL to
financial investors was conducted
in order to repay loan obligations to
certain lenders of the group.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info SPORTS Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 23

India win maiden Pink Ball Test, wrap up series 2‑0

Kolkata: Virat Kohli and his quick
bow ling trio trampled
Bangladesh by an innings and 46
runs to clean sweep the series 2‑
0 in their maiden pink ball Test
at the iconic Eden Gardens here.
This was India 12th consecu‑
tive home series victory as they
also became the first team ever to
complete four successive innings
victories in the five‑day format.
India had won the first rubber by
an innings and 130 runs.
After India declared their first
innings on 347/9 on Saturday,
Bangladesh slumped to 14/3 by
the seventh over and risked los‑
ing the match inside two days.
But Mushfiqur Rahim and
Mahmudullah, who made 39
before a hamstring injury forced
him to retire hurt, forced a third
day's play as they went into
stumps at 152/6.
It then took India less than an
hour to wrap up proceedings as
Mushfiqur top‑scored w ith a
fighting 76 before holing out to
Ravindra Jadeja at covers of f
Umesh Yadav who returned fig‑
ures of 5/53. All other batters fell
around him as Mahmudullah
could not come out to bat.
Ishant Sharma, who claimed
5/22 in the first innings, was the
wrecker‑in‑chief in the second as
The Indian team celebrates after winning second Test match between
India and Bangladesh, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
we ll, returning 4/56 with an
impeccable display of seam bowl‑
ing. Bangladesh were shot out for
106 in the first innings and
trailed their hosts by 89 runs.
They resumed the third day at
152/6, still trailing by 89 runs.
Ebadat Hossain walked out to bat
with Mushfiqur but it took Umesh
little time to have him caught by
Kohli at slips.
Rahim was next to go as he
tried to be aggressive and up the
ante. Al‑Amin Hossain was the
last to go as he was caug ht
behind by Wriddhiman Saha of f
Umesh.
Earlier, Kohli slammed a mag‑
nificent 136 and added 99 runs
with his deputy Ajinkya Rahane
who fell for a fluent 51. On Day
1, Cheteshwar Pujara also struck
a similar 55.
The India captain cover‑drove
Ebadot Hossain to reach 99 and,
w ith the crowd chant ing his
name, took two off spinner Taijul
Islam to bring up his 27th test
century, and 20th as captain.
Kohli equalled former
Australian great Ricky Ponting's
record of 41 international cen‑
turies as captain. With the centu‑
ry, the 31‑year‑old also surpassed
Ponting's tally of 19 Test tons as
skipper.
The talismanic batsman, who
now has back‑to‑back tons at
Eden Gardens with the last com‑
ing against Sri Lanka in 2017,
took 159 balls to get to his centu‑
ry. Kohli shifted gears after get‑
ting to his hundred and hit Abu
Jayed for four consecutive fours
before Ebadat removed him with
Taijul moving from deep square
leg and hurling himself into the
air to take a stunning catch.
Kohli hit 18 fours in his 194‑
ball vigil, which was more than
the entire Bangladesh team who
had folded in 30.3 overs in their
first essay.
In Bangaldesh's first dig, open‑
er Shadman Islam was the high‑
est scorer with 29 as only three
batsmen crossed double figures.
Ishant ran amok as Umesh
grabbed three and Mohammed
Shami snared two.
Bangladesh have had to call
two concussion substitutes after
Liton Das and Nayeem Hasan sus‑
tained nasty blows to the helmet
in the first innings and
Mohammad Mithun also took a
knock due to visibility being an
issue under lights. Mushfiqur too
was hit on the helmet.

Australia
thrash Pakistan
by innings and
5 runs
Brisbane: Australia thrashed Pakistan by
an innings and five runs on the fourth
day of the first Test of the two‑match
series to take a 1‑0 lead.
Babar Azam (104) slammed his second
Test ton while Mohammad Rizwan con‑
tributed with 95 runs to stall Australia's
march to victory however, Pakistan was
later bundled out for 335.
The Green Brigade were reeling at
64/3 at the end of the third day with
Shan Masood and Babar at the crease.
After their departure, Babar and
stumper Mohammad Rizwan showed a
fightback as their sixth‑wicket partner‑
ship fetched Pakistan 132 runs. Enroute,
Babar completed his century during the
stand to become only the third Pakistani
batsman to score in triple figures at the
Gabba before becoming a victim of
Nathan Lyon just before the tea break.
Rizwan kept the fig ht going and
stiched a 79‑run partnership with with
Yasir Shah (42), before falling 5 runs
short of his maiden Test hundred. After
their departure, Shaheen Afridi (10) and
Imran Khan (5) fell soon as Australia
registered a victory in just 84.2 overs.
For the Aussies, Josh Hazlewoo d
picked four wickets while Mitchell Starc
scalped three and Pat Cummins got two.
D/N Test felt like
World Cup final: Ganguly
Kolkata: The cricket‑crazy fans
in Kolkata came, they watched
and they applauded. But Indiaʼs
maiden pink ball Test wouldnt
have been possible had it not
been for new BCCI President
Sourav Ganguly. It was his vision
and he left no stone unturned to
ensure that India not only finally
played a Day‑Night Test, but also
organized it in a manner that
was nothing short of a spectacle.
Speaking to IANS, during the
final session on the second day
of the Test between India and
Bang ladesh, Ganguly said it
almost felt like it was a World
Cup final being played at the
historic ground.
"Just take a look around (fans
with their camera lights on to
click pictures). Do you see this?
Have you seen this in Test crick‑
et? When was the last time you
had a capacity crowd watching a
Test match? Feels like it is a
World Cup final," he smiled.
T he satisfaction to see his
efforts bear fruit was clearly vis‑
ible but what the pink ball Test
also did was took him back to
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly.
the famous 2001 Test between
India and Australia that changed
the graph of Ganguly, the cap‑
tain. "Oh! It is an absolutely
amazing feeling. Feels great.
Look for yourself. It brings back
memories of the 2001 Test
match if you ask me. T his is
what Test cricket should be,
packed stadiums," he said.
Does it bring joy that his effort
resulted in such a beautiful out‑
come that even someone like a
Rahul Dravid said he would have
loved to be a part of Day‑Night
Tests? Ganguly's joy knew no
bounds.
"It is very kind of him. Feels
very good when your teammates
compliment you. Coming from
him, it is special. I am very
happy. Yes, it is a very satisfying
feeling," he said.
Does he also miss being a part
of the pink ball era? "You cannot
say that as we have all had our
time. When we were playing, the
T20 had just come in and look at
how it has spread and now this.
So you cannot think that way,"
he smiled.
Asked if things will only get
bigger and better now that the
first pink ball Test has been
played, Ganguly decided to play
the waiting game, but was quick
to add that the atmosphere
would only get better if opposi‑
tions like England, South Africa
and Australia were to play Day‑
Night Tests in India. "Too early
to talk of the future. We will all
sit down and discuss the way
ahead after this one. But just
imagine the frenzy if you have
teams like England, South Africa
and Australia playing pink ball
Tests against India. Think what
the crowd will get to witness,"
he pointed.
The Test also saw Virat Kohli
become the first Indian to score
a hundred in pink ball Test and
for Ganguly, the India skipper is
one of the best he has seen.
Coming from the man who
played with the likes of Sachin
Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid,
Virender Sehwag and V.V.S.
Laxman, this is no mean assess‑
ment.
 24 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 SCI-TECH TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Photos show evidence of life on Mars, claims scientist

A
s scientists scramble to
determine whether there is
life on Mars, a researcher
from Ohio University in US
believes that there is evidence of
insect‑like creatures on the red
planet.
Courtesy photographs from vari‑
ous Mars rovers, Professor
Emeritus William Romoser's
research found numerous exam‑
ples of insect‑like forms, struc‑
tured similarly to bees, as well as
reptile‑like forms, both as fossils
and living creatures.
"There has been and still is life
on Mars," Romoser said, noting
that the images appear to show
both fossilized and living crea‑
tures.
"T here is apparent diversity
among the Martian insect‑like
fauna which display many features
similar to Terran insects that are
interpreted as advanced groups ‑
for example, the presence of wings,
wing flexion, agile gliding/flight,
and variously structured leg ele‑
ments," Romoser added.
(Image coutesy: Ohio University)
Romoser said that while the along with legs, antennae and
Martian rovers, particularly the wings, can be picked out from the
Curiosity Rover, have been looking surrounding area, and one even
for indicators of organic activity, appears to show one of the insects
there are a number of photos in a steep dive before pulling up
which clearly depict the insect‑ just before hitting the ground.
and repile‑like forms. Individual images were carefully
Numerous photos show images studied while varying photograph‑
where arthropod body segments, ic parameters such as brightness,
contrast, saturation, inversion, and
so on. No content was added, or
removed.
Criteria used in Romoser's
research included: Dramatic depar‑
ture from the surroundings, clarity
of form, body symmetry, segmen‑
tation of body parts, repeating
form, skeletal remains, and obser‑
vation of forms in close proximity
to one another.
Particular postures, evidence of
motion, flight, apparent interac‑
tion as suggested by relative posi‑
tions, and shiny eyes were taken to
be consistent with the presence of
living forms.
"Once a clear image of a given
form was identified and described,
it was useful in facilitating recogni‑
tion of other less clear, but none‑
the‑less valid, images of the same
basic form," Romoser said.
An exoske leton and jointed
appendages are sufficient to estab‑
lish identification as an arthropod.
Three body regions, a single pair
of antennae, and six legs are tradi‑
tionally suf ficient to establish
identification as 'insect' on Earth.
These characteristics should like‑
wise be valid to identify an organ‑
ism on Mars as insect‑like. On
these bases, arthropodan, insect‑
like forms can be seen in the Mars
rover photos." These creatures
loosely resemble bumble bees or
carpenter bees on Earth. Other
images show these "bees" appear‑
ing to shelter or nest in caves. And
others show a fossilized creature
that resembles a snake.
"The presence of higher meta‑
zoan organisms on Mars implies
the presence of nutrient/energy
sources and processes, food chains
and webs, and water as elements
functioning in a viable, if extreme,
ecological setting sufficient to sus‑
tain life," Romoser said.
"The evidence of life on Mars
presented here provides a strong
basis for many additional impor‑
tant biological as well as social and
political questions," he added.
T he study was presented at
Entomological Society of America
national meeting.

Tesla supercharger station Instaʼs ʻclose friendsʼ feature

catches fire in New Jersey
in Facebook soon?
F
acebook is going to add one of Instagramʼs
favorite features ̶ “Close Friends” to the main
app. The feature was added as a built‑in priva‑
cy tool that let users choose to share story content to
only a select group of followers, your close friends.
Many users do not want their boss or colleague see‑
ing their partying images or edgy memes.
And Facebook‑owned Instagram, instead of making
a complicated set of Friend Lists, made a single Close
Friends list with a dedicated button for sharing to
them from Stories.
The feature was first spotted inside Messenger by
reverse engineering master and frequent tipster Jane
Manchun Wong, TechCrunch reported on Saturday.
The social networking giant had originally con‑
firmed “Favorites” was for sharing via “Stories”, but
later corrected itse lf saying posts are sent to
“Favorites” via Messenger.

2020 flagship iPhones may

A
Tesla Supercharger station Wawa's Parsippany store, Electrek
in New Jersey caught fire reported on Monday quot ing

have 6GB RAM: Report

due to unknown reasons CNBC. "Tesla had an issue with
and the Electric Vehicle (EV ) their cabinet and the power has

maker is investigating the situa‑
tion. The blaze broke out at a Tesla
Supercharger station situated at a
Wawa convenience store in
Parsippany, New Jersey. Wawa is a
chain of convenience stores and
fuel stations that have partnered
with the Electric Vehicle maker to
provide Supercharger locations.
An "issue" caused a fire at the
Supercharger station located at
been shut off while they are inves‑
tigating. Our store was unaffected
as it is on a completely separate
power line," a Wawa spokesperson
was quoted as saying in the report.
Such incidents are not new. Earlier
in June, a Tesla Model S car sta‑
tioned at a Supercharger station in
Antwerp, Be lgium caught fire
while hooked up to a charger with‑
out any apparent reason.
B
arclays analyst Blayne Curtis and his associates
have revealed that Apple's iPhone 12 Pro and
iPhone 12 Pro Max, due to be launched in
September 2020 are going to sport 6GB RAM.
The Cupertino‑based company is expected to launch
three iPhones next year and Barclays believes that
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro will feature mmWave
5G support, news portal iMore reported on Friday.
Additionally, the 2020 iPhones could pack rear‑facing
3D sensing cameras for better photographic and aug‑
mented reality capabilities. An earlier report predicted
this technology will debut in the next iPad Pro before
making it to iPhone. The iPhone maker is also planning
to launch an affordable smartphone iPhone SE 2, with
production reportedly slated to start in February.
The phone will have an A13 chip, which is also being
used in iPhone 11, along with 3GB RAM and will have
three color options: silver, space grey and red.

TikTok owner to launch music

streaming service: Report
T
ikTok owner Beijing
ByteDance Technology is in
talks with big music labels ‑
Universal Music, Sony Music and
Warner Music ‑ for global licens‑
ing deals to include their songs on
its new music subscription service,
the Financial Times reported on
Sunday.
ByteDance is looking to launch
its music streaming as soon as
next month, initially in emerging
markets such as India, Indonesia
and Brazil, before a future opening
in the United States, the FT report‑
ed, citing people familiar with the
matter. In addition to on‑demand
music, By te Dance's app w ill
include a library of short video
clips for listeners to search
through and sync to songs as they
listen, the report added.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
What Hindu monks bring to
study at Harvard
3 Hindu monastics are in residence at Harvard Divinity School this year. They are
the first to participate in a new program made possible by a generous gift
from Ajit Nagral aimed to strengthen the Hindu presence on campus.
By Emily Farnsworth
Harvard Divinity School
J
ust like any student at Harvard, Swami
Sarvapriyananda had dreams about
what he would do when he grew up.
As he sits in a classroom in Rockefeller
Hall on Harvard Divinity Schoolʼs (HDS) cam‑
pus wearing his distinctive orange robes, he
recalls what he wrote down as his top two
choices while at school in his hometown of
Bhubaneswar, in the eastern part of India.
“No. 1, be a pilot, and No. 2, find God,” he
said, smiling at the recognition that this is
perhaps where his story begins to depart
from others.
Swami Sarvapriyananda, who goes by just
“Swami” when there arenʼt other swamis
around, describes himself as a bookworm,
and attributes his early interest in the spiri‑
tual life to a childhood without cable televi‑
sion or internet. He could keep himself busy
with the books his parents had around
instead ̶ books on the Bhagavad Gita or
Swami Vivekananda.
“As I grew up, being a pilot became No. 2
and find God became No. 1, until only No. 1
remained.”
Now a monk of more than 25 years in the
Ramakrishna Order, Sarvapriyananda is the
current minister and spiritual leader of the
Vedanta Society of New York and one of
three Hindu monastics in residence at HDS
this school year. They are the first to partici‑
pate in a new program made possible by a
generous gift from Vibhu and Ajit Nagral out
of their interest in strengthening the Hindu
presence on campus.
Francis X. Clooney, S.J., Parkman Professor
of Divinity and professor of comparative the‑
ology, explains that this new program will be
similar to the Buddhist Ministry Initiative,
which began in 2012 and has provided
scholarships for monks to come from Asia
for a year of study at HDS.
The new program at HDS has two main
objectives: to enrich the HDS community,
and to enable the participating monastics to
return to their communities with expanded
horizons. Two months into the semester,
these aims are already flourishing ̶ in both
formal and informal ways.
The three monastics are easy to spot on
campus. As Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya
of Houstonʼs Chinmaya Mission quipped,
“We dress quite loudly.” Her bright yellow
robes indicate that she is, in her words, “a
monastic in training.” Her Nike trainers and
cardigan sweaters, however, signal that she
and the other monastics donʼt shy away from
the modern world.
Sarvapriyananda says he is open to taking
questions from the curious.
“Iʼd be delighted to talk about monastic
RELIGION
(from left) Brahmacharini Shweta Chaitanya (of Houstonʼs Chinmaya Mission),
Swami Sarvapriyananda (head of Vedanta Society of New York), and Sadhak Akshar
Parsana (of BAPS from Gujarat) are three Hindu monastics in residence at Harvard
Divinity School this school year.
life, Vedanta, or Hinduism ̶ whatever Religions (CSWR) on the HDS campus, he
theyʼre interested in,” he added. “Itʼs one of lives in “a bubble inside a bubble.”
the reasons weʼre on campus, actually ̶ to The grounds around the CSWR provide a
be available.” quiet place for meditation and study and
Before coming to Harvard, Sadhak Akshar, remind Akshar of Sarangpur, India, where he
an aspiring Bo chasanwasi Akshar spent three years with guru Pramukh Swami
Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) Maharaj and was inspired to begin his
Swaminarayan sadhu from Gujarat, who monastic journey. Aksharʼs eagerness to
wears an all‑white outfit, wondered how peo‑ learn, easy‑going demeanor, and generosity
ple in the U.S. would receive him. with his Gujarati cooking helped him make
“But from the very first day,” he said, “this friends easily, and heʼs thrilled to already
hasnʼt been a question for me. People accept have forged “strong bonds” with people from
you as you are and respect you.” Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, and
He has felt more than welcome, in fact, other Hindu traditions.
with many people asking whether he has the This is a priority for Akshar both because
necessary clothing to survive a New England of current his guru Mahant Swami Maharajʼs
winter, and some even offering to take him teachings on unity and fraternity, and
shopping. He appreciates the kindness he because of a teaching from the Vedas he can
has encountered, recognizing that as a resi‑ quote: “Let noble thoughts come from all the
dent of the Center for the Study of World directions.” He interprets this to mean that
“whatever is good anywhere, in any religion,
we accept it.”
In addition to these kinds of informal inter‑
actions, Akshar and the others, who have
devoted years to studying their own tradi‑
tions, are enrolled in courses to learn about
new methodologies and traditions. While
Akshar and Chaitanya are taking classes on
Buddhism and Christianity, Sarvapriyananda
is enrolled in a number of philosophy cours‑
es ̶ both Eastern and Western. All three are
taking Clooneyʼs “Intro duct ion to the
Upanishads,” which are “some of the oldest
and most famous primary texts of Vedic and
Hindu India, ranging from before 700 B.C. to
200 B.C. and later.”
Daniel Sanders, a first‑year M.T.S. candi‑
Ajit Nagral who supports the new
program at HDS is a seasoned date also in the class, said he was “excited
entrepreneur and Executive Chairman, by the opportunity to study these texts
Sciformix Corporation. with those who have made it their lifeʼs focus
Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 25
to absorb, contemplate, and practice the wis‑
dom found there.” He added that their in‑
class Sanskrit recitations of the text and
insights into interpretation have added “a
joyful new dimension to my classroom expe‑
rience.”
In addition to enriching group discussions,
the three monastics have given class presen‑
tations about how the Upanishads are stud‑
ied in each of their traditions. Chaitanyaʼs
two‑year residential Vedanta course in
Mumbai, for example, was entirely different
from the kind of object ive, academic
approaches she was exposed to while pursu‑
ing degrees in Sanskrit at the University of
Texas, Austin, and at Columbia University.
Her experience in India was totally immer‑
sive: “There was a lot of lifestyle change that
was considered necessary to imbibing the
teaching of the Upanishads,” she said, like
what time you wake up and what kind of
food you eat. “It was almost like being able
to take what we studied and to relate it to
your every moment. I thoroughly appreciat‑
ed that style of learning and teaching. It was
very inspiring.”
Despite years of studying the Upanishads,
the monastics also feel they have much to
learn from their professor and classmates.
Parsana said he is enjoying encountering
new perspectives. The students from differ‑
ent religious backgrounds, he said, bring
questions to the text that heʼs never consid‑
ered. This kind of exchange is exactly why
Chaitanya pursued the opportunity to come
to HDS.
“I thought it was nice to bring in the the‑
ologianʼs perspective along with the academ‑
ic perspective and work collaboratively to
think about Hinduism,” she said. “I wanted to
be a part of that to whatever extent I could.”
Chaitanya hopes to be able to bring some
of this perspective back to her community,
and Sarvapriyananda is also eager to share
how things are done at HDS w ith the
acharyas in India who run the monastic
training centers.
“They want to know what itʼs like, what are
the teaching methods, how do the students
respond to the material,” he explained. “Iʼm
sure when I go back to India, Iʼll probably be
asked to give talks on my Harvard experi‑
ence.”
For Akshar, who has never had the chance
to engage in much interreligious dialogue,
the lesson he hopes to take home is the com‑
munity experience itself.
“At Harvard, everyone can have dialogue
across the table,” he said. “And this is a nice
thing. And now when I go back, I will be
more confident in continuing this dialogue,
because it is coming from experience.”
(Courtesy Harvard Gazette)
 26 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 HEALTH TheSouthAsianTimes.info

80% adolescents worldwide not physically active: WHO

M
ore than 80 per cent of
adolescents worldwide Some of the lowest levels of insufficient
are not physically active,
including 85 per cent girls and
activity in boys were found in Bangladesh,
78 per cent boys, putting their
health at risk by not doing regu‑
India and the US. In the two South Asian
lar exercise and spending too countries, girls too are in the same situation.
much time on screen, according
to a new study from World Health 71 per cent), Ireland (71 per cent India (where 63 per cent and 72
Organization (WHO). to 64 per cent), and the US (71 per cent of boys were insuf fi‑
T he study, published in the per cent to 64 per cent). ciently active in 2016, respective‑
journal T he Lancet Child & However, among girls, changes ly) may be explained by the
Adolescent Health, based on data were small, ranging from a two strong focus on national sports
reported by 1.6 million 11 to 17‑ percentage‑point decrease in like cricket.
year‑old students found that Singapore (85 per cent to 83 per For girls, the lowest levels of
Most countries in the study (73 time spent in active play, recre‑
across all 146 countries studied cent) to a one percentage‑point insufficient activity were seen in
per cent, 107 of 146) saw this ation and sports, active domestic
between 2001‑2016, girls were increase in Afghanistan (87 per Bangladesh and India, and are
gender gap widen between 2001‑ chores, walking and cycling or
less active than boys in all but cent to 88 per cent). potentially explained by societal
2016. other types of active transporta‑
four (Tonga, Samoa, Afghanistan Bangladesh was the country factors, such as increased domes‑
T he study also found that t ion, physical educat ion and
and Zambia). with the lowest prevalence of tic chores in the home for girls.
Bangladesh and India had the planned exercise.
According to the WHO, levels of insuf ficient physical act ivity The authors noted that if these
lowest rates of physical inactivity Physical activity trends show
insuf ficient physical activity in among boys, girls, and both gen‑ trends continue, the global target
for boys and girls. For the find‑ slight improvement for boys,
adolescents cont inue to be ders combined (63 per cent, 69 of a 15 per cent relative reduc‑
ings, the researchers estimated none for girls
extremely high, compromising per cent and 66 per cent, respec‑ tion in insufficient physical activi‑
how many 11 to 17‑year‑olds do The study found that the great‑
their current and future health. tively). ty ‑ which would lead to a global
not meet this recommendation by est decreases in boys being insuf‑
"Urgent policy act ion to Some of the lowest levels of prevalence of less than 70 per
analyzing data collected through ficiently active were Bangladesh ‑‑
increase physical activity is need‑ insufficient activity in boys were cent by 2030 ‑ w ill not be
school‑based surveys on physical from 73 per cent to 63 per cent,
ed now, particularly to promote found in Bangladesh, India and achieved.
activity levels. Singapore (78 per cent to 70 per
and retain girls' participation in the US.The authors noted that the This target was agreed to by all
The assessment included all cent), Thailand (78 per cent to 70
physical activity," said study lower levels of insufficient physi‑ countries at the World Health
types of physical activity, such as per cent), Benin (79 per cent to
author Dr Regina Guthold. cal activity in Bangladesh and Assembly in 2018.

Finding a good chiropractor Intermittent fasting may lead

in East Brunswick NJ to longer, healthier life
I
By Janya Bhave ntermittent fasting may sound like
another diet fad but researcher

F
or the uninitiated, a chiropractor is a
healthcare professional with a focus
on the diagnosis and treatment of neu‑
romuscular disorders and with an emphasis
on the treatment through manual adjustment
and/or manipulation of the spine.
Chiropractors also treat various bones,
nerves, muscles, and ligaments as well as
back and neck pain, soft tissue conditions,
and any other past problems with oneʼs body.
Before the advent of allopathy, people
depended on to what are today called alter‑
native systems of medicine. Gradually modern
people, who want quick results, started to
only trust allopathic medicines and proce‑
dures even though many have side ef fects.
Then it dawned that we also need complimen‑
tary systems and healthcare professionals
such as chiropractors, physical therapists,
acupuncturists, and so on.
Some time ago, I was looking for a good chi‑
ropractor, and take it from me that a chiro‑
practor is hard to find even in this age of
internet. I was able to find one on a recom‑
mendation from a friend of mine, and he hap‑
pened to be in my town, East Brunswick, NJ.
Dr Frank Spano has an of fice at 180 Tices
Lane.
Dr Spano has had an interest in chiropractic
from his childhood because his parents
believed in the system and took him as a child
for treatment to a practitioner of this art. He
has studied at Fairleigh Dickinson University
and received his Doctor of Chiropractic
degree from Life College in Georgia.
Today in his practice, he has 20 employees
and offers a wide variety of services beyond
just chiropractic such as physical therapy,
Dr Frank Spano also offers a wide variety
of services beyond just chiropractic such
as physical therapy, acupuncture and
massage therapy.
acupuncture, massage therapy, and personal
training. He also recommends ideal protein
and medically supervised weight‑loss pro‑
gram. His patients thus can get diverse
treatments in one place and hope to get bet‑
ter soon.
Dr Spano treats his patients according to
their individual needs. His medical office has
EPAT machine to treat pain associated with
heel spurs, tendonitis, and other conditions.
He also has DRX 9000 to treat various nerves
in the body. He likes to help people and is
very knowledgeable in his field. He is confi‑
dent that he can help his patients with their
health issues like sciatica, herniated disc, etc.
He lives in Monroe with his wife, Isabel, who
works in his office. I also find his staff to be
very cordial and would definitely recommend
Dr Spano to anyone.
have conclusively found that the
practice of routinely not eating and
drinking for short periods of time
resulted in longer life in heart
patients.
In the study by Intermountain
Healthcare Heart Institute in Salt Lake
City, Utah, researchers found that
heart patients who practiced regular
intermittent fasting lived longer than
patients who don't. In addition, they
found that patients who practice
intermittent fasting are less likely to
be diagnosed with heart failure.
"It's another example of how we're
finding that regularly fasting can lead to bet‑
ter health outcomes and longer lives," said
Benjamin Horne, principal investigator of
the study. While the study does not show
that fasting is the causal ef fect for better
survival, these real‑world outcomes in a
large population do suggest that fasting may
be having an ef fect and urge continued
study of the behavior.
In the study, researchers asked 2,001
Intermountain patients undergoing cardiac
catheterization from 2013 to 2015 a series
of lifestyle questions, including whether or
not they practiced routine intermittent fast‑
ing. Researchers then followed up with those
patients 4.5 years later and found that rou‑
tine fasters had greater survival rate than
those who did not.
Fasting affects a person's levels of hemo‑
globin, red blood cell count, human growth
hormone, and lowers sodium and bicarbon‑
ate levels, while also activating ketosis and
autophagy ‑ all factors that lead to better
Typically, it takes about 12 hours of
fasting for the effects to kick in.
heart health and specifically reduce risk of
heart failure and coronary heart disease.
"This study suggests that routine fasting
at a low frequency over two thirds of the
lifespan is activating the same biological
mechanisms that fasting diets are proposed
to rapidly activate," said Dr Horne.
Researchers speculate that fasting routine‑
ly over a period of years and even decades
conditions the body to activate the benefi‑
cial mechanisms of fasting after a shorter
length of time than usual.
Typically, it takes about 12 hours of fast‑
ing for the effects to be activated, but long‑
term routine fasting may cause that time to
be shortened so that each routine faster's
daily evening/overnight fasting period
between dinner and breakfast produces a
small amount of daily benefit, they noted.
Fasting is not for everyone. Researchers
cautioned that pregnant and lactating
women and diabetics should not fast, as well
as young children and frail older adults.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info COLUMNS Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 27

‘Work from home’ is a mixed blessing

By Suchitra Srinivas out. The flip side is that it is not an option of fice laptop to set right a production
guaranteed to everyone. The reporting release. Or a mom attending to her office

W
ork‑life balance is a matter to
be envious about when it comes
to life abroad. Of the many priv‑
ileges that contribute to this balance, the
ʻwork from homeʼ option stands out
among the immigrants from India, whose
contribution to the IT industry is well
acknowledged.
Contrary to belief, this is not an auto‑
matic privilege granted to employees in
the US. There are many untold stories of
toil and adjustments that are made to earn
this prized privilege that indeed makes life
manageable in a foreign land.
Reminisces Ramkumar Sheshadri, an IT
consultant, “When I moved into this coun‑
try, I had to learn driving to get my
license. Public transport is not very good
here. So work from home option comes as
a boon. But I was not fortunate as our
company never encouraged consultants to
avail this option. So to this day I envy oth‑
ers who stay at home, work and get paid
too.”
Work from home is also not an option
available to most during the initial stages
of employment.
Working from home is not as rosy as it
seems. “While it is handy on days when
we have,f ro example, a doctorʼs appoint‑
ment for my son, availing this means we
have to attend to office calls even at mid‑
night. Even during the weekends we are
ʻlockedʼ at home with production releases.
These are getting increasingly stressful,
and are contrary to the westernersʼ con‑
cept of not working after of fice hours,”
observes Senthil Vadivel.
For both partners pursuing their careers
and missing the support of the extended
family to take care of their child, ʻwork
from homeʼ is welcome but with a caveat.
“Nothing beats sitting at the of fice desk
and working undisturbed on a huge moni‑
tor capable of handling multiple screens
simultaneously. I work from home but
handling my one‑year old demands a lot
of multi‑tasking so I end up hiring a nanny
to keep an eye on her. Besides, the insecu‑
rity of being mistaken to be unproductive
looms at the back of the mind,” says new
mom, Sangeetha Sivakumar.
Of course, harsh‑weather days like a
snowstorm, blizzard or sub‑zero tempera‑
tures are when this privilege comes as a
blessing, enabling one to avoid venturing
manager must permit the employee to call while driving her daughter to a dance
avail it. Even if it is available for everyone class at 5 pm on a weekday. So, though
in the organization as a matter of policy, it these parents are with the child physically,
is left to the discretion and the working they are unavailable for friendly chats in
style of the team and the manager. the car or at home.
Work from home also results in home
However, many are concerned about environment becoming like office. All fam‑
being ʻout‑of‑sight, out‑of‑mindʼ, especially ily members become participants in this
during downsizing times, worried that endeavor!
those working from home may top the Nevertheless, the privilege drives the life
cull list. “Though I am eligible, the fear of of immigrants in America. Over 40 per
being a prey makes me go to work and not cent jobs across the nation are remote
choose home of fice opt ion,” claims employment, which is expected to save bil‑
Rajendran Ramamoorthy. lions of dollars to the corporate world.
The stay‑at‑home spouse also sacrifices And, mind you, proud Indian immigrants
a lot to see the loved one work from home. contribute a sizeable chunk to this deli‑
The first casualty is the phone, which gets cious pie!
locked. “Initially I felt good when my hus‑
band would say that he is working from
Suchitra
home. Then, his office calls started eating
into my social time, as I could not invite Srinivas is
my friends home. If I still decided to be the a
ʻnice serving wifeʼ, it ended up compro‑
journalist
mising my lunch time routine. The right
place for work is the office in my opinion,” based at
says Aparna Vasudev. New
In the US, it is some struggle to bring up
Jersey.
children when both partners work.
Managing the schedule, dropping and She can
picking them from school programs and be contacted
other classes require planning. Often
at suchitrasrinivas
enough, this multi‑tasking builds up the
stress. It is not uncommon to see the dad @hotmail.com.
who drops his child to a basketball class Column first appeared
on a Saturday morning, sitting in the
in DTNext.
school lobby and attending to work on his

IMMIGRATION

I-751, Waiver of Joint Filing

By Michael Phulwani,
Esq. and Dev B.
Viswanath, Esq.

I
f an individual applied for a
green card based on their mar‑
riage to a U.S. citizen, they will
Under Extreme Hardship
receive a “conditional” green card

VISA
guage that is spoken in their home resident will receive a receipt ditional permanent resident quali‑
that is only valid for two years if country; notice. The conditional permanent fies for a waiver of joint filing and
they were married for less than 8 They have custody of their resident is allowed to continue to send a letter to the applicant with
two years on the date the green

card is granted. Before the two‑
year mark is completed, the couple
must file a I‑751 form to remove
the conditions on the foreign
nationalʼs green card. If the condi‑
tions on their green card are not
removed, then the green card and
their status and right to stay in the
U.S. will terminate at the end of
two years.
Normally to remove the condi‑
tions on a green card, the green
card holder and their spouse
would jointly file I‑751 Petition.
There are a few circumstances
where a spouse cannot jointly file
Form I‑751, such as divorce, sepa‑
ration, death, or imminent harm. In
this circumstance the green card
hold must apply for a waiver of the
joint filing requirement. One such
option is to apply for the waiver of
joint filing based on “extreme
hardship.” When applying for a
TALK
waiver of the joint filing require‑
ment based on extreme hardship
the applicant must provide USCIS
with evidence showing that if they
return to their former country they
would suffer extreme hardship.
The relief of filing jointly is a dis‑
cretionary relief and the hardship
requirement may be difficult to
prove. USCIS will only look at evi‑
dence of events that occurred
while the green card holder lived
in the U.S. as a conditional perma‑
nent resident. A conditional per‑
manent resident may qualify for a
waiver of joint filing under
extreme hardship if they can show
the following circumstances:
8 They have lived in the U.S. for
an extended period of time;
8 They do not speak the lan‑
U.S. citizen children and they
would need to leave the U.S. as
well;
8 They have family living in the
U.S. who are financially dependent
on them and would suffer without
their financial support;
8 They would not be able to
find work outside the U.S;
8 They have a medical condi‑
tion that cannot be treated proper‑
ly abroad;
8 They would face persecution
or discrimination in their home
country;
8 They are unable to receive a
divorce or annulment because of
religious or cultural belief;
8 Their spouse was at fault for
the breakdown of their relation‑
ship;
8 They are unable to find their
spouse in order to file jointly.
After the whole I‑751 packet is
filed, the conditional permanent
live and work in the U.S. and travel their decision or, in most waiver
abroad and return to the U.S., cases, they will schedule the appli‑
while their case is being processed. cant for an interview with an immi‑
If USCIS needs more evidence to gration office to determine eligibil‑
show extreme hardship they will ity. The removal of condition is
send a request for evidence, which the only pathway to becoming a
must be timely answered. Once full‑fledged permanent resident,
USCIS reviews the whole I‑751 and US citizen if status was grant‑
packet it will determine if the con‑ ed conditionally.
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.
Dev will be working from the India offices from
November 5th to November 20th for any
assistance or consultations.
 28 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 LIFESTYLE TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Victoria's Secret cancels Why you should use PCs for

fashion show amid ratings drop
L R
ingerie brand Victoria's Secret has can‑
celled its annual fashion show amid
dwindling television ratings and rising
criticism of the event. The show launched in
1995 and was once a major
pop culture event, drawing
millions of viewers each year.
Last year it had its lowest
ratings ever and drew criti‑
cism that it was sexist, outdat‑
ed and lacked diversity. The
brand's parent company L
Brands said it was important to "evolve" its
marketing strategy.
"We're figuring out how to advance the
positioning of the brand and best communi‑
cate that to customers," Stuart Burgdoerfer, L
Brands chief financial officer, told investors
on an earnings call.
Nevertheless, he said the shows were "an
important aspect of the brand and a remark‑
able marketing achievement."
The annual show featured
some of the world's top
supermodels, often wearing
elaborate outfits.
The show was a milestone
in the career of many super‑
models including Tyra Banks,
Heidi Klum and Miranda
Kerr. Changing attitudes appear to have hit
sales and the brand's bottom line.
Poor sales at Victoria's Secret weighed on
the performance of L Brands, which reported
a net loss of $252m in third quarter results
announced this week.
online shopping
esearchers have found that con‑
sumers may make better shopping
decisions using their PCs rather than
smart phones or other mobile devices. This
study differentiates between screen size and
information reduction, which
are often mixed up. "The
issue is not actually screen
size, it is actually the fact
that sites adjusted for mobile
viewing reduce the informa‑
tion offered on the results page and require
more digging around in the site for informa‑
tion," said study researcher Lior Fink, from
the Ben‑Gurion University in Israel.
"Sites adjusted for PC viewing give more
information right up front," Fink said. In
2018, phones accounted for 47 per cent of
traffic to online stores and 36 per cent of
sales according to Adobe Analytics. "Most e‑
commerce providers use 'responsive web
design' to adapt the presentation of informa‑
tion to the device used," Fink explained.
"While mobile friendly
presentation improves visi‑
bility, it reduces the amount
of information and causes
consumers to make decisions
that are less consistent with
their preferences," Fink added. From a pure
decision‑making perspective, the study
shows it is better to simply present the same
information irrespective of the device used.
Consumers will find the information more
difficult to view on mobile devices, but their
decisions will be more accurate.

Well-paid wife is injurious to hubby's mental health

I
f your wife earns more than
you, especially after marriage,
and you are facing some sort of
mental stress for quite some time,
there is a definite link between the
two. An interesting study has
found that husbands are least
stressed when their wives earn up
to 40 per cent of household
income but become increasingly
uncomfortable as their spouse's
wages rise beyond that point and
are most stressed when they are
entirely economically dependent
on their partner.
The research from the University
of Bath also showed that husbands
did not suffer psychological dis‑
tress about their wives' income if
their wife was the higher earner
before marriage and the existing
and potential income gap was
clear to them.
The study of over 6,000
American heterosexual couples
over 15 years showed husbands
are at their most anxious when
they are the sole breadwinner,
shouldering all the burden of
responsibility for the household's
finances.
Stress levels decline as their
wives' earnings approach 40 per
cent of household income. But as
women's earnings go through that
point, the study showed husbands'
stress levels gradually increasing.
"The findings suggest that social
norms about male breadwinning ‑‑
and traditional conventions about
men earning more than their wives
‑‑ can be dangerous for men's
health. They also show how strong
and persistent are gender identity
norms," said Dr Joanna Syrda, an
economist at the University of
Bath's School of Management.
The study also shed light on the
'bargaining power' between hus‑
band and wife. "The elevated psy‑
chological distress that comes with
husbands' economic dependence
on their wives can also have prac‑
tical underpinnings due to bar‑
gaining in the shadow of dissolu‑
tion or the fear of reduced eco‑
nomic status in the event of an
actual divorce. These effects are
larger among cohabiting couples,
possibly due to the higher proba‑
bility of dissolution," she elaborat‑
ed. The study also showed a dis‑
parity in the way husbands and
wives assessed their own psycho‑
logical distress and that of their
partner. Survey respondents were
asked to measure distress in terms
of feeling sad, nervous, restless,
hopeless, worthless, or that every‑
thing was an effort. Men reported
better mental health than their
wives reported on their behalf.
"This too may be down to gender
norms. If masculine social roles
preclude the admission of vulnera‑
bility, and men are inclined to hide
symptoms of stress and depres‑
sion, it follows that wives' respons‑
es (about their spouses) will be
less accurate," said Dr Syrda.
In fact, wives reported their hus‑
bands' lowest distress level was
when they were contributing 50
per cent of the household income,
while husbands reported lowest
distress when their wives con‑
tributed 40 per cent. "With mas‑
culinity closely associated with the
conventional view of the male
breadwinner, traditional social
gender norms mean men may be
more likely to experience psycho‑
logical distress if they become the
secondary earner in the household
or become financially dependent
on their wives, a finding that has
implications for managing male
mental health and society's under‑
standing of masculinity itself," the
researchers elaborated.

HUMOR Laughter is the Best Medicine

Smriti Irani's instagram

pic wins internet with
hilarious caption By
Mahendra

U
nion Minister Shah
Smriti Irani dug Mahendra Shah
out one of her old is an architect by
pictures for 'Flashback education,
Friday', delighting her 7 entrepreneur by
lakh Instagram followers. profession, artist
Ms Irani took to the photo and humorist,
and video‑sharing platform cartoonist and
to post the photograph, writer by hobby.
which appears to be a few He has been
recording the
years old. The black and
plight of the
white pic shows her
immigrant
dressed in a shirt and
Indians for the
trousers, smiling for the camera. tag #FlashbackFriday.
past many year in
The 42‑year‑old, known for her sense of Smriti Irani's throwback picture collected his cartoons.
humor, had a hilarious caption to go with over 20,000 'likes' within an hour. It also Hailing from
the picture. garnered a number of comments compli‑ Gujarat, he lives
"Carrot se kaddu ki kahani (from carrot to menting her. in Pittsburgh,
pumpkin)," wrote Irani, adding a laughing "I remember this girl," wrote her friend Pennsylvania.
face emoji at the end, along with the hash‑ and producer Ekta Kapoor.
TheSouthAsianTimes.info ASTROLOGY Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 29

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

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

NOVEMBER 30‑DECEMBER 6, 2019

ARIES: Your mature handling on a
contentious matter on the family
front is likely to be appreciated.
Excellent man management skills will help
you in managing many things at once on
the professional front. Your eye for detail
will not let you miss even minor issues at
work. A chance to earn good profits is on
the cards and will strengthen your financial
front. Your romantic aspirations will help
you make all the right moves on the roman‑
tic front!
TAURUS: Impressing those who mat‑
ter on the professional front is likely
to catapult you into a position of
power and authority. Self‑discipline may help
you achieve peak physical fitness. Beg, bor‑
row or steal, you will manage to raise the
capital for your dream venture. You may
think upon to take romance to the next level.
Bringing some order into chaotic academic
front will benefit you greatly this week.
GEMINI: Taking home remedies for a
recurring ailment is not advised, as it
may aggravate the problem. Paying
outstanding dues may become a problem.
Some domestic issues may compel you to
take frequent breaks from work. Not get‑
ting invited to a function or party may
prove disappointing. You are likely to har‑
bour some resentment with the one you
love. You may not be fully satisfied by
developments on the professional front.
CANCER: You may resolve to start
afresh on the academic front to
improve your performance. Those
suffering from an ailment will find their con‑
dition improving. A change of diet is likely to
have a positive ef fect on your health. You
can be made to wait for a decision by a sen‑
ior. You may find distribution of work on the
professional front questionable. Conserving
money should remain your top priority.
Homemakers crave for a change of scene.
LEO: Someone may try to get the bet‑
ter of you on the professional front
and upset you. Your financial situa‑
tion may worsen due to some dubious
investments. An added responsibility awaits
you on the professional front and is likely
to add to your workload. Promises made by
lover on the romantic front may not be
kept. Some of you may be compelled to
travel on an official tour. An active lifestyle
will keep you in good shape.
VIRGO: An influential person is likely
to patronise you. An excellent oppor‑
tunity for networking on the social
front is likely to present itself this week.
Help from some family member will save a
lot of your time. Your ideas to rekindle your
love life will curry favour with partner.
Something positive will come off by meet‑
ing an old associate. Speed will remain on
your side in a journey. You will be able to
manage the work front well.
LIBRA: Attempts on the work front
may not get immediate results, so
remain patient and let things work
themselves out. Someone will be consider‑
ate enough to assist you on the academic
front. You may make plans to meet a family
member not with you at present. Positive
nature of someone close will keep the
domestic atmosphere light. Happiness in
love life is yours for the asking! Efforts on
the fitness front will give rich dividends.
SCORPIO: Wedding bells are likely to
toll for the e ligible. Chance for
romance cannot be ruled out for
some. Travel bug may bite and make you
pack your bags. A good bargain awaits you in
the real estate market, so donʼt let go of the
opportunity. Exchanging notes with someone
after a long time will prove most enjoyable.
You may eye a luxury item, but ask yourself
whether you really require it. You may get
irregular in your exercise routine.
SAGITTARIUS: Some minor adjust‑
ments may be required in some‑
thing you are currently involved in.
Time to reap the dividends of previous
investments has arrived for some. Eating
right and meditation may be taken up by
some seriously for keeping good health.
Working women may feel burdened with
household chores in the absence of any
help. Lover may seem in a thoughtful mood
and may require space.
CAPRICORN: Someone may take an
exception to your complaining atti‑
tude. Your firm hand will ensure
that a family youngster remains at his or
her best behaviour. Some of you are likely
to hit the jackpot and add to your wealth.
Those with a medical problem will show
marked improvement in their condition.
Spouse may line up something special for
you this week. Long‑time lovers may get
serious about tying the knot.
AQUARIUS: You may take a serious
view of someone not toeing your
line at work or at home. Changes on
the home front may not be to the liking of
other members. Someoneʼs attitude is likely
to put you off at work. You may feel a bit
stifled in your current occupation. Someone
may smooth talk you into parting with your
money, if you are not careful. A journey
that you were looking forward to may get
postponed indefinitely.
PISCES: Keep your distance from
someone with whom you donʼt get
along well. Diligence may not get
you the returns you expect at work, so
work smart. A financial advice needs to be
taken with a pinch of salt, as it may not
prove to be sound. Some dietary restric‑
tions will do your health a whale of good.
You may be instrumental in organising a
function or an event on the social front. A
vacation may need to be shelved.

November 30, 2019 arguments with loved ones. You

Ruled by number 3 and the plan‑
et Jupiter.. You are energetic, prac‑
tical, enthusiastic, authoritative
and trustworthy person. You are
intelligent and can do wonders
with your ability to put in your
maximum, but you need to control
your tendencies to behave reckless,
stubborn and impatient at times.
This is a period of recognition
and rewards. Efforts put in the past
will yield returns this year. Your
investments will multiply and yield
good profits. Unexpected gains
from speculation or real estate may
not be ruled out. Children may
cause some dissatisfaction and
spouse will need more of your
attention. New romance most likely
for some. Health definitely would
need more attention. Regular exer‑
cise and meditation would
immensely help you this year. The
months of January, June &
November will prove to be signifi‑
cant and result oriented.
December 1, 2019
Governed by number 1, and the
Sun, you are original, active,
responsible and a talented person.
You are highly skillful and fond of
accepting challenges, but you need
to control your tendency to domi‑
nate, overspend and behave
destructive at times. The coming
year brings rewards and recogni‑
tion for you. Financial benefits will
flow through various sources. New
sources of income will enhance
your living style. Real estate mat‑
ANNUAL PREDICTIONS: FOR THOSE BORN IN THIS WEEK
ters will bring enormous gains.
Journeys undertaken for work pur‑
pose will be beneficial and reward‑
ing. Sudden expenses due to health
problem in the family will bother
your mind. Judicial matters could
upset your mental peace. Secret
affairs should be avoided, as it will
only ruin your reputation. The
months of October, January, March
and July will be result oriented.
December 2, 2019
Ruled by number 2 and the
Moon. You are highly trustworthy,
emotional, simple, friendly and
warm‑hearted person. You have a
desire for learning and gathering
knowledge and people look up to
you for consultation and inspira‑
tion, but you need to check your
tendency to behave introvert, hasty
and whimsical at times.
You need to take stronger deci‑
sions to reap benefits. Challenges
that you accept during this phase
would bring overwhelming results
in the long run. Your financial con‑
dition would improve later in the
year, as you would pickup jobs
involving higher responsibility and
position. A sudden influence of a
spiritual person would have a
remarkable influence on your per‑
sonality and thoughts. Students
would excel in their academic per‑
formance. Some exhilarating news
from your overseas relations will
boost up the spirits of the entire
family. Travel and journey will be
pleasurable. T he months of
September, November, March and
May will be significant for you.
December 3, 2019
Ruled by number 3 and the plan‑
et Jupiter. You are energetic, ambi‑
tious, dignified, and kindhearted
person. You are fond of good music
and nature and you also like to
enjoy your privacy and independ‑
ence. You hold a respectable posi‑
tion in the society, but you need to
control your tendency to dominate
and behave reckless at times.
This year you need to do some
serious thinking on your career
options. Few brilliant opportunities
would come your way but you need
to act smart and quick to grab
these once in a lifetime of fer
before others. Financial gains
would accrue from investments
and even speculation. A vacation to
an exotic location cannot be ruled
out later this year. Your health will
remain good but health of your
spouse or children will become a
matter of concern. Servants, col‑
leagues, subordinates will cause
some worry and unnecessary ten‑
sions. The months of November,
January and June will be eventful.
December 4, 2019
Influenced by number 4 and the
planet Uranus. You are active, prac‑
tical, enthusiastic, courageous and
highly philosophical person. You
take a very realistic view of things
in your daily life and tackle them
with immense responsibility, but
you need to check your tendency to
behave impatient and stubborn at
times.
T his year your business will
flourish and financial gains will lift
your confidence. Property related
matters that have been disturbing
your mind would settle to your sat‑
isfaction. New romance for those
unattached, but your work is likely
to suf fer if you keep fantasizing
about this special person. You
should try to avoid your personal
life interfere with your career
objectives. Elders and children in
the family will demand lot of your
attention. Sportsmen, writers and
artists can look forward to fame
towards the yearend. The months
of October, November, March and
July will be significant.
December 5, 2019
Governed by number 5 and the
planet Mercury. You are intelligent,
sharp, sensible, business oriented,
dignified, original and dashing.
People perceive you as a very
warm and friendly person, but you
need to check your tendency to
behave quarrelsome and destruc‑
tive at times.
A very favorable period starts
this year, but you should avoid con‑
troversial issues that might cause
will make financial gains through
property sale, accrual of rent, divi‑
dends or interests. Unexpected
help from close relatives will bring
you new business opportunities.
This is also a good time to invest in
expensive art and ornaments.
Children will be supportive and
bring in some happy news later in
the year. Pilgrimage or a long jour‑
ney will be high on your cards. The
months of December, March and
July will especially prove to be sig‑
nificant.
December 6, 2019
Ruled by number 6 and the plan‑
et Venus. You have a pleasant per‑
sonality, sharp memory and you
are very fond of worldly pleasures.
You stay ahead of others because of
your interest in new things and
new technology, but you need to
control your tendency to behave
moody, timid and spendthrift at
times.
This coming period is good for
starting new ventures. Projects that
have been slow till now will gain
momentum. Disputes if any will get
sorted out and bring a sense of
re lief to your mind. Romantic
encounters with colleagues might
develop, though it will be very
short lived. Your competitive
nature will make you stay ahead of
others and also be popular
amongst your peers. Friends will be
helpful but demanding. The months
of October, December, April and
August will prove to be significant.
 30 Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019 SPIRITUAL AWARENESS TheSouthAsianTimes.info

Gratitude to the giver

new toys.In the meantime, the other must not be any God.”
angel traveled far and wide looking Few are grateful to God for the
to fill the basket with prayers of good they receive so that when
thankfulness. Days passed, but no something goes wrong they tell
prayers of gratitude were heard. God, “Itʼs okay God, I still love You,
The angel collecting prayers of and I know you are there. What
request had a loaded truck. But, the happened to me must have been
angel collecting prayers of thankful‑ something that was best for me,
ness had only a few. under Your will.”
By Sant Rajinder Singh When God was presented with How many people take such a
Ji Maharaj their findings, God sighed. “This is grateful attitude to God?
nothing new” said God. “You now Let us thank God for each day

T
here is a story of God sending
two angels to earth to listen to
the prayers of humanity. One
ange l was asked to collect the
prayers asking God for something.
The other angel was asked to col‑
lect the prayers of thanksgiving and
gratitude.
The two angels were given large
baskets to collect and descended to
earth to begin their task.The angel
collecting prayers asking God for
something became extremely busy.
Many people prayed to God to help
them earn more money, some
prayed for improved health of their
children, spouse, parents or rela‑
tives. T he ange l also collected
prayers for latest computer, exqui‑
site jewelry, expensive clothing and
have a taste of what it is like being
God. People are always praying for
something from Me, which is all
right because at least they are
thinking of Me. But few ever thank
Me.”
When God checked the email,
there were millions of email mes‑
sages of complaints and requests.
The mailbox was bombarded with
endless complaints and prayers
from billions of people requesting
things all at the same time.
There were few who thanked God
for the good they received.
This story illustrates the human
condition. People request others to
do something for them, but how
many people take an equal amount
of time to thank them? Similarly, we
pray to God for the things we want.
How many of us take the time to
thank God?
We focus more on what God has
not given than what God has given
us. If we were to fill out a thank you
note to God for all the good we
received, we would discover that we
have received much. Let us count
many things for which we owe our
gratitude to God.
First, we are extremely fortunate
that our soul was born into a
human body. We are fortunate that
we have been born into the only
species who can know ourselves
and know God.
We may feel that God only exists
when everything goes our way, and
believe that there is only God if we
get whatever we want.
We may have had a job for 25
years, but the one time we are laid
off we say there is no God. We may
have had a loving family for years
but when one member passes away
we blame God. We may have been
healthy for many years but the one
major illness we have, we say,
“What is happening to me? There
that we are able to do our work,
enjoy our family and friends, for
our health and be grateful our ail‑
ments are not worse. We should be
grateful for all the gifts we receive,
not only physical, intellectual and
emotional but also for the spiritual
gifts of God. We can reflect on how
we can show our gratitude by devel‑
oping noble qualities and resolve to
improve ourselves to become better
human beings. We can also spend
time connecting with the Divine
within through prayer and medita‑
tion, and in performing selfless
service to others. In this way, we
can express our gratitude to God,
not only in words but also through
our deeds.
(For more visit www.sos.org)

What is Thanksgiving and where did it come from?

I CULTURE
n America, Thanksgiving is a cultural holi‑
day that symbolizes peace, thankfulness,
and the beginning of the holiday season.
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the
United States celebrated in November.
Apart from the food, arguably the main
component of the Thanksgiving day, the holi‑
day is a beloved time of year when
Americans come together to celebrate what
they are thankful for ‑ either with family or
friends.
The annual feast is in honor of the “first”
Thanksgivings in America, in 1619 in
Virginia, and in 1621, when colonists in
Plymouth, Massachusetts, later known as the
Pilgrims, shared a meal with the
Wampanoag Indians, who were native to the
land.
The later feast was in honor of the help the
Pilgrims received from the Native Americans
in cultivating crops and surviving their first
harsh winter and it lasted three days.
Later, US Presidents including George
Washington, John Adams and James
Madison called for days of thanks through‑
out their presidencies.
Macyʼs
Thanksgiving Day
However, it was not until 1863, during the Parade is Americaʼs
Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln premiere holiday
declared a national Thanksgiving Day would celebration
be held each November to be celebrated by
all of the country.
Why do Americans
celebrate it and what
do they do?
Although Thanksgiving may originally
have had religious significance, the day has
become a mostly secular holiday.
Most Americans consider the holiday a day
to gather and express their thanks through
food, family, and football ‑ with multiple NFL
teams playing on the holiday.
During some Thanksgiving celebrations, Macyʼs Thanksgiving Day Parade in New Where is it celebrated?
people write down what they are thankful York City.
for and then read aloud from the pieces of The worldʼs largest Thanksgiving parade Thanksgiving is one of the most important
paper. includes giant balloons of cartoons that float cultural holidays in America, however,
In schools, children learn about the holiday above the city sky, as well as marching bands Canada also has its own Thanksgiving Day,
by coloring in pictures of Pilgrims and and dancers. on the second Monday in October, and
turkeys and the Mayflower, the ship the Following Thanksgiving, the month‑long Liberia celebrates Thanksgiving on the first
colonists arrived on. shopping for the winter holidays begins, with Thursday of November.
The day is also celebrated with the annual Black Friday kicking off the season. (Source: independent.co.u k)
TheSouthAsianTimes.info Nov 30-Dec 6, 2019

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