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Maldives President Md. Nasheed, surrounded by soldiers, shortly before resigning. far arrested around 250 supporters of his Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and appealed to his supporters to remain calm. "They changed the government and now they want to arrest me...I don't think it's Continued on page 4
US Attorney General Eric Holder announcing the deal. their homes to foreclosure from 2008 to the end of 2011. Continued on page 4
Narendra Modi: 2014 may see Modi-vs-Rahul Gandhi contest prime minister. Now, Modi is also one of the leaders... he has also got the potential for that," Gadkari said.
The site near Atlanta for the two new reactors. mental accomplishment" for the company, its partners and the nuclear industry. "We are committed to bringing these units online to deliver clean, safe and reliable energy to our customers," he said. Continued on page 4
Dilraj the famous Marwari stallion with Francesca Kelly and Raghuvendra Singh Dundlod. tan of Oman. said in Jaipur. Dilraj the famous Marwari stallion Queen Elizabeth is the only British in London is already under training Monarch in history after Queen Vicfor the show and he will be soon toria who has reigned for 60 years or joined by two Marwari horses of more. The cultural show going Francesca Kelly from USA, Five along with horse dance will be coorfrom Spain owned by Mario dinated by Tripti Pandey. We have Calcagno and four other sent by Sul- already roped in famous dancer Gu-
he Marwari is a rare breed of horse from the Marwar region of Rajasthan. Known for its inward-turning ear tips, it is known for its hardiness and long safaris. The Rathores, traditional rulers of the Marwar region of western India, were the first to breed the Marwari in the 12th century. They espoused strict breeding that promoted purity and hardiness.
Rotary Clubs Hicksville South and Jericho Sunrise jointly donated $5,000 to US Marine Toys for Tots program. Seen in the photo, members of both clubs presenting the check to US Marine, Chairman of Toys for Tots at Garden City Hotel, Long Island on Feb 6, 2012. (Photo: Courtesy: Jyoti Babu Reddy)
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Raj Sharma (second from left), North America President of NCP, and Mihir Desai, new President of the South East region.
or used fake signatures to speed foreclosures - an action known as robo-signing. The banks and U.S. state attorneys general agreed to the deal late Wednesday after 16 months of contentious negotiations. New York and California came on board only Wednesday. California has more than 2 million 'underwater' borrowers, whose homes are worth less than their mortgages. New York has some 118,000 homeowners who are underwater. Maldives president Story Continued from page 1 going to help the process in the Maldives. It is going to lead everything to deteriorate and I hope the international community and our friends will take note of it. We would like to see the Maldives saved." Nasheed said he wanted the international
community to "impose restraint on the present illegal government" in his country. Nasheed alleged that he was beaten up badly by the plotters. "Initially, they beat me up and they were trying to drag me and as I came out, there was a crowd outside and there were some scuffles there and I was able to slip away," he said, adding that his close associates were taken away and beaten badly. Asked if people close to the previous regime were behind the coup, he said: "Well, I am sure anyone who has ruled with an iron fist for 30 years will have his own strings to pull. Without a proper investigation, it would be improper for me to pronounce a judgment." Maldivian police said Thursday that they had received a court order to arrest Nasheed. It was issued following a string of Communications & Operations Bhrigu Pankaj Prashar C: 516.303.4002 Bhrigu@TheSouthAsianTimes.info
arson attacks on police stations and court houses by supporters of his party Wednesday. US nuclear reactor Story Continued from page 1 rating the new units in 2016-17. They cost more than $14 billion. It says the project will generate 4,000 to 5,000 construction jobs. Some residents of the communities near Plant Vogtle, who maintain that some cancers have increased since 1987 when Southern Co. opened the first of two existing reactors, were dismayed. Nine environmental groups plan a challenge in federal court in Washington. The groups say the approval process was rushed, and that regulators failed to incorporate lessons from Japan's accident. Photographs: Gunjesh Desai/ masalajunction.com. Xitij Joshi/xitijphoto.com Photo Journalist: Parveen/Bhanu Seth Chief Cartoonist: Mahendra P. Shah Art and Design: Vladimir Tomovski Bhagwati Multimedia, Rahul Sahota Web Editor: B.B.Chopra News Service: HT Media Ltd. IANS Newswire Services Printing: Five Star Printing, NY Richner Publications Contacts Editor@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Subscribe@TheSouthAsianTimes.info Advertisements Advertise@TheSouthAsianTimes.info P : 516.390.7847 F : 516.465.1343
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The Chalo Punjab group from USA at the Chelmsford Club Delhi reception hosted by Dr Karan Singh, head of the Foreign Affairs Deptt, AICC. By Parveen Chopra New York: The Chalo Punjab group of NRIs has returned from campaigning for Congress in the last week of January. They claim that they were able to create a wave for the party just before the January 30 poll, and that the party will win a majority of seats the margin of victory not certain yet--and go on to form a government under the chief ministership of Captain Amarinder Singh, former Maharaja of Patiala. Yes, our main achievement was to help create this wave in favor of Congress in the last five days before the election. In fact, the party will win 6-7 extra seats in the Doaba region because of our efforts, says Shudh Prakash Singh, Chief Coordinator of Punjab Election Campaign Committee (PECC), USA, and National Vice President of Indian National Overseas Congress (INOC), USA. The Chalo Punjab campaign was Shudh Singhs brainchild and due to his initiative lauded by Congress bigwigs in India--over a thousand NRIs from countries including US, Canada, UK, Italy and Germany traveled to Punjab on their own expense in the run up to the polls. It was for the first time that NRIs went to India to campaign for any party, said Shudh, who supports Republicans here and may contest a legislative seat in India in the near future. He and others who returned from campaigning in Punjab, spoke to SATimes. The other factor which will see Congress return to power in Punjab, Shudh said, was the announcement by party general secretary Rahul Gandhi in Taran Taran that Captain Amarinder Singh will be the Congress candidate for Chief Minister in the state. The group of about 100 NRIs that Shudh led was given a warm welcome at the AICC headquarters in Delhi and their kafila in three buses was flagged off
Shudh Prakash Singh organized a meeting of NRI families in Samana, from where Raninder Singh, son of Maharaja Patiala, is contesting. The meeting was addressed by Maharani Preneet Kaur, Minister of State for External Affairs, as well as Shudh, standing next to her.
for the Punjab trip by Karan Singh, head of the Foreign Affairs Deptt, AICC. When they reached Chandigarh, Captain Amarinder Singh received them very warmly at the Congress Bhawan. They addressed the media from the press club. From Chandigarh the group fanned out in the state for canvassing in individual constituencies. Phuman Singh, President, East Coast PECC, USA, traveled to Hoshiarpur district and met area leaders to canvas for votes in favor of better candidates. The wave for Congress was equally strong in cities as well as villages, he said. He noticed increased prosperity in the state and decreasing craze for migrating abroad. Kanwal Sra, who runs a CPA company in the Tristate area and spent about 10 days in Punjab, canShudh Prakash Singh presenting Chalo Punjab memento to I&B vassed in the assembly constituencies of a couple of Minister Ambika Soni at the reception hosted by Capt Amarinder Singh his friends including Jassi Khangura (Dakha), and (standing next to the minister), Congress nominee for chief minister, Karan Brar (Muktsar). He went with local people at Congress Bhawan, Chandigarh. daily to tell voters to support Congress because this is the party that did good for the state when in power last time. Voters are aware of their needs and looking for party and candidates to help meet those needs, he said, adding that many were convinced only in the last few days before the polling that Congress was the party of good governance. The awareness created by NRIs was a factor in the huge voter turnout in Punjab polls, he believes. Lukhbir Singh, who is involved in agriculture in California and was part of the Chalo Punjab campaign, feels concerned about the once booming agrarian state . In Punjab, land holdings are getting small, water table receding, and farmers getting impoverished, living on sale of land, some even committing suicide, he points out. He suggests developing food processing indusShudh Prakash Singh, accompanied by Chalo Punjab group, tryas done ably by Gujarat--in the state to tide presenting a siropa to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. over the crisis.
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IN BRIEF
ndian-American Dr. Poonam Alaigh has been appointed to the board of advisors in Perminova, a developer of web-based software for leading cardiology centers of US. A board-certified internist with a vascular medicine specialty, Dr. Alaigh also has a comprehensive knowledge of health policy, healthcare reform, cost-effective care and quality outcomes, along with expertise in organizational and corporate management. She was Commissioner of Health and Senior Services for the State of New Jersey, where she led an executive-level state agency with a $3.8 billion budget and 1,700 employees and answered directly to the Governor. Her key responsibilities included state and national healthcare
policy, public health, senior care and quality and regulatory oversight of healthcare institutions in New Jersey. Perminova is fortunate to have on its Board of Advisors an MD with Dr. Alaighs tremendous expertise in healthcare policy, along with organizational and corporate management, said Craig K. Collins, Perminova President and CEO. In this fastchanging era for healthcare, her knowledge will be extremely beneficial to our high-growth health technology company. Dr. Alaigh received her medical degree from Lady Hardinge Medical College at Delhi University in India and later an MS in Health Care Policy and Management at SUNY at Stony Brook in New York.
The winners of the Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu Contest Tasneem Masqati and Anita Mehrotra with friends pose with Imran Khan. harat Matrimony, UTV, and Star India Plus joined together recently for the Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu Contest. The contest, named after the upcoming Hindi romantic comedy film of the same name, offered winners the chance to have dinner with Bollywood actor and the movies male lead Imran Khan. Winners were selected and came to New York City on January 30th to celebrate and have dinner with the films star. Viewers on Star India Plus were invited via an on-air campaign to participate in the Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu Contest. The online contest was hosted on www.bharatmatrimony.com, and featured questions that contestants had to answer. Contestants had to name the lead pair in the upcoming
movie (Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor) and also had to explain how their relationship with their own partner is important to them. Lokesh Dhar, Senior VP of UTV Motion Pictures spoke positively of the joint venture saying, "We are glad to partner with Bharat Matrimony and Star India Plus for Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, which happens to be a perfect fit for this highly anticipated film". Says Farook Shamsudeen, International Business Head of BharatMatrimony.com, We, being the leading matrimony site for Indians worldwide, are the starting point of many a beautiful relationship, and we are happy to have cohosted this contest that inspired people to think about the essence of their partner in their lives.
gathering, which was followed by the jayamangala gatha. President Mahinda Rajapaksas Independence Day address was broadcasted following the traditional observances. Addressing the gathering Dr. Palitha Kohona, stated that Those Sri Lankans who live overseas have a seminal contribution to make as the nation forges ahead. We will be judged by the world not for highlighting our differences but for emphasizing our unity. Internationally we must stand united as we build bridges and foster understanding. Furthermore, The United States has contributed much to Sri Lankas development since independence and all of us must work at strengthening the people to people bonds between our states further. As Sri Lankans we must stand together and face the world as a united nation.
Dr Palitha Kohona addresses the gathering Following blessings by the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Islamic religious dignitaries, the cultural event which lasted over 90 minutes began with a traditional kothuvam dance. The other items in the cultural repertoire included dances and songs in
The Permanent Representative Ambassador Dr. Palitha Kohona and Ambassador Major General Shavendra Silva hoist the national flag. Sinhala, and English. Professor Sanath Nadasiri and Malkanthi Nandasiri brought nostalgic comfort to the Sri Lankan audience living in New York by singing such classics as Mag Ratata and Bo maluwe.
Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam better known by her stage name M.I.A. is a British rapper, of Sri Lankan Tamil descent NBC's delay system. The gesture in the performance was completely inappropriate, very disappointing, and we apologize to our fans," he said. NBC sports spokesman Christopher McCloskey shifted more of the blame back to the NFL, saying, "The NFL hired the talent and produced the halftime show. Our system was late to obscure the inappropriate gesture and we apologize to our viewers."
Washington, DC: An under construction Gurdwara in Michigan has been vandalized and defaced with anti-Muslim graffiti, the police and community leaders have said. The vandalism of the Gurdwara, coming up in Sterling Heights city of Michigan, happened on February 5, members of its management committee said. The graffiti included vulgar language, racial epithets, the use of what appears to be a cross, a large drawing of a gun, and references to the 9/11 attacks, the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund said, urging the local and federal authorities to initiate a hate crime investigation into it.
The vandalism has been condemned by the Michigan chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the American Jewish Committee. "We condemn the vandalism of the Sikh house of worship in Sterling Heights and call on local and federal law enforcement to use their full resources to apprehend the perpetrators of this hate crime," said Dawud Walid, executive director of the Muslim council. "The attack on any house of worship in our community is despicable, and we are pained to see the Sikh community targeted," said Kari Alterman of the Jewish committee.
IN BRIEF
oicing concern over protectionism, India has asked the US to address issues faced by Indian IT professionals, who pay $15 billion in taxes, and reminded Washington that this "success story" should not be set back by stringent visa regulations. "We do hope the current economic challenges in the US would not lead to protectionism and that concerns of Indian IT industry will be addressed quickly," Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said Monday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank. Mathai, who is on his first visit to the US as foreign secretary, was speaking on "Building on Convergences: Deepening India-U.S. Strategic Partnership." Reminding Washington of the contribution of the Indian IT industry and its role in building robust India-US relations, Mathai said the Indians industry employs over 100,000 in the US, up from 20,000 six years ago. "It supports 200,000 other jobs, including indirect ones, apart from enhancing the competitiveness of some US industries. Most Indian companies are setting up development centers. Indian IT industry contributed $15 billion in taxes over the last 5 years," he said.
"This success story should not be set back by stringent visa regulations which act as a non-tariff barrier," he stressed. Alluding to over $200 million paid by Indian IT professionals going to the US in visa fees, Mathai said: "Perhaps $30-$50 million has been taken from young aspiring Indians working in businesses whose US visas were rejected. The pink slip has become a greenback!" "It needs reiteration that the targets of these discriminatory actions are precisely those who have contributed intellectually to the climate of reform in India, and who have been votaries of strong India-US relations," he said. Calling for deepening of economic ties between India and the US, Mathai said the two countries should not only focus on expanding trade and investment, but also "use the power of innovation to make our economies global leaders in the 21st century." India and the US can and must strengthen their economic partnership, he said. The flow of trade in goods and services, and investments in both directions has grown several times in the past two decades increasing to $40 billion of US imports, both goods and services.
Starting a new trend Ashley Judd series premieres in India before its US release
ollywood star Ashley the completion of at least one Judd's new TV series, season. Missing, will be A reason cited for the launch launched in India four days of the show so soon in India is before it starts airing in the US. that several websites, including This is the first time an YouTube, are known to upload American soap will air in India latest episodes of foreign serials before it hits the US small no sooner they are aired in the screen. U.S. and this in turn affects subMissing, which stars Sean sequent viewership in India. Bean, Cliff Curtis and Laura Judd, 43, is popular in India Donnelly along with Judd, will for spreading HIV awareness Ashley Judd be aired in India March 11 and also for her docu-drama onwards on Star One, while it premieres in India's Hidden Plague. The actress, a sociothe U.S. on March 15. political activist who has campaigned for The ABC-produced show will be a trend- President Barack Obama, was in India in setter of sorts, considering most foreign 2007 to shoot the documentary dealing with shows premiere on Indian television after the menace of AIDS in the country.
Looking to grow in the next five years, WLP now has plans to raise the number of interns to 20 as also making it year round program. Over a hundred students who program. have applied for the program this "We actually just used to do summer would be whittled down to exclusively Capitol Hill," he said, about ten after a three stage "very "but with the influx of South intense" selection process, says Asians being appointed to the Harin Contractor, a 2003 alum who administration, who have been serves on the board of the program knocking at our doors for quality now run by the alumni of Raju's interns, we have extended the
Raja Lahrasib Khan maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. He immigrated to the US in 1970s. His plea agreement calls for an agreed sentence of between five and eight years in prison, and it requires Khan to cooperate with the government in any matter in which he is called upon to assist through the termination of his sentence and any period of supervised release, the Justice Department said. Khan admitted that he
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee unveiled the Swami Vivekananda Plaque at the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago on January 28, 2012. Also seen in the picture are Ambassador Nirupama Rao and Douglas Durick, President of the Art Institute of Chicago. (Photo:-Jay Mandal/On Assignment)
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US Affairs TheSouthAsianTimes.info
A triumphant Santorum called Romney no different from Obama. of the organizational or financial advantages of Romneys campaign. He also has the support of a wellfinanced super PAC, which has demonstrated a willingness to spend heavily on advertising critical of
Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning holds aloft the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a float of New York Giants heads up the Canyon of Heroes during a ticker-tape parade, Feb. 7 in New York. Also seen are Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Giants co-captain Justin Tuck and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The Giants defeated the New England Patriots Sunday in the Super Bowl.
election year. Some will take place in legislative chambers, including in Maryland and New Hampshire, and some at the ballot box, including in Minnesota, North Carolina. Advocates on both sides said Wednesday that, over the long term, their side would pre-
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Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi in a UP village. New Delhi: The Congress has not projected any chief minister in the hotly contested Uttar Pradesh elections and "youth icon" Rahul Gandhi is not a candidate, says a senior leader. "Our focus is on the campaign now. When it comes to selecting a legislature party leader, we will cross the bridge when we come to it," Mohan Prakash, chief of the state's election screening committee, said when questioned who the leader of the Congress-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance would be after the polls. "Rahulji has been leading our campaign. The youth icon has given new substance and style to our campaign. But he is not a candidate or an aspirant for the chief minister post," Prakash said. "His (Rahul's) vision for a resurgent and progressive Uttar Pradesh has energised the Congress campaign," said Prakash, who is also a special invitee to the Congress Working Committee and in-charge of the crucial states of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir. Prakash, 61, said confidently that the lack of a chief ministerial candidate would not affect the Congress' prospects in the state where it has not been in power since 1989. The Congress usually does not announce its chief minister's candidate in advance, he said.
The overall turnout in the first phase was 62 percent, considerably higher than the 2007 first round tally of 46.7 percent. cent, considerably higher than the 2007 first round tally of 46.7 percent. "Apart from a large number of first time voters, both boys and girls, there was a large turnout of women, including those belonging to the minorities," Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha said. The day proceeded on a peaceful note. No untoward incident was reported from any of the 18,083 polling booths or outside. About 55,000 paramilitary troopers and about 10,000 men of the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) as well as police personnel kept vigil. In sensitive booths in Ayodhya, officials did not even honor passes to the media given by the Election Commission, leading to some journalists lodging a protest. With 862 candidates in the firstphase fray, Barabanki had the maximum number at 26 and Mahmoodabad the least with eight. The candidates included 796 men and 65 women.
Ayodhya was one of the 55 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where polling took place in the first phase. man who was barely a teenager when the 16th century Babri mosque was pulled down by Hindu mobs. "Except for lip service, the people of Ayodhya have not got anything concrete all these years. The only thing visible is
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India TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Three Bharatiya Janata Party ministers in Karnataka quit over viewing porn on mobile-phone in the assembly. BJP members and ruled that he was He said he will set up a six-membarring the three former ministers ber house committee which will from participating in the house pro- hear the three ministers and give its ceedings till a panel he is setting up findings by March 12. Till then, the gives its findings. three will not take part in the house Amidst a roar of protests from proceedings, Bopaiah said and the Congress and JD-S members, adjourned the assembly sine die, Bopaiah announced he was giving two days ahead of schedule. time till Feb 13 to the three to The assembly is to meet only in explain their conduct. March for presentation of the
Karnataka Governor H.R. Bhardwaj. consultations with Karnataka legislature -- Siddaramaiah and High Court Chief Justice Motamma of the Congress. Vikramajit Sen and the two "I am aware that there has been opposition leaders in the state a considerable delay in appoint-
India TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Ehsan Jafri was among the 69 persons killed in the Gulberg Housing society riots in Gujarat.
triggered by the February 27, 2002 Godhra train carnage. The SC had further said that in case the magistrate decides to drop proceedings against Modi and others, he has to hear the plea of Zakia, who had filed a complaint against the chief minister and others. Jafri had told the apex court that a proper probe should be carried out by the SIT, headed by former CBI chief R K Raghavan, into her allegations of inaction and various acts of omission and commission by Modi and others during the riots. The apex court in 2009 had earlier handed over the task of probing the case to SIT which submitted its report in 2011.
India has created new infantry mountain divisions and plans to raise a strike corps aimed at countering aggression by China.
outreach to the Indian Ocean island state off western India. With its recent purchases, running into tens of billions of dollars, India is finally working to counter what it
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Books TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Supporters and friends of controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin (inset) protest the decision taken by the organizers of the Kolkata Book Fair to cancel the release of her latest book. By Pradipta Tapadar Kolkata: The cancellation of the release of controversial author Taslima Nasreen's autobiography at the famed Kolkata Book Fair has thrown the spotlight on the destructive clout of religious fanatics in a city once known for savoring cultural pluralism. Last week's incident, coupled with the Salman Rushdie controversy - when the Booker awardee had to call off his visit and then his much-anticipated video address at the Jaipur Literature Festival following security threats triggered by some Islamic groups' protest - would go down as another instance of Indian authorities and parties kowtowing before religious rabblerousers. While the Rushdie episode saw the political parties and the government, in the words of novelist Vikram Seth, "knuckling under" an "enforced disgrace because of power and politics", the only difference here was that publishers went ahead with the launch of the book at the fair, despite the hostile attitude of organizers.
The immortal characters created by Dickens: untrustworthy Artful Dodger, overly humble Uriah Heep and miserly Scrooge
Charles Dickens Delhi University teaches Dickens' sonally, though he concedes "Hard Times" in its undergraduate Dickens' "power of story-telling". module. "We have moved on... we would But the legacy could be waning. rather read a novel that speaks of "We regularly have one or two immediate reality - in the Indian texts on Dickens. Currently, we milieu," a post-graduate student at have one, which is part of the com- the Jamia Millia said while Alka pulsory course. However, students Bansal, a senior librarian at the are getting more attracted to con- Tagore International School in temporary literature," Coomi Delhi said she "virtually forces Vevaina, head of the Department of Dickens on the children, bred on English at the University of fast-paced Twilght-kind of mass Mumbai, said. fictions". Simi Malhotra, as associate proBut for writer-politician Shashi fessor of English at the Jamia Tharoor, who played the leader of Millia Islamia, added that the the gang of child thieves in a stage "Indian understanding of novel production of "Oliver Twist" in writing has changed in the last 10 1968, "the Artful Dodger" remains years with post-colonial novels and his favorite character. feminist novels. Students are interTill five years ago, Dickens' ested in contemporary novels - let's books were in demand at all major say Amitav Ghosh has more rele- book shops in the metros. vance here than Dickens. In last 10 "Children read classics then. But years, the volume of research on with the arrival of the mass fiction, Dickens has declined sharply." no one wants to read Dickens anyDickens does not inspire publish- more," a spokesperson for the er Shobit Arya of Wisdom Tree per- Midland book shop said.
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Poetry Symposium celebrates life and work of India's greatest Mystic Poet
Hasnain Raza, Qaid Jabalpuri, Tarlook Singh, Qaseem Ibne Naseem Amrohi, Allama Rehan Naqvi, Johri Kohli, and Azhar Zehdi on the mushaira stage. Amityville, NY: Science of first Human Unity Conference tory weekend, programs in English Spirituality Meditation Center in (then called Unity of Man were also held. On Saturday Amityville, NY, held a Ruhani Conference) and is known as the evening, after the conclusion of the Mushaira, spiritual poetry sympo- father of Human Unity. cultural program, a delicious vegesium, on Saturday, February 4, The symposium was presided tarian buffet followed. 2012. The Ruhani Mushaira was over by world-renowned Urdu poet The highlight of the evening was organized to create a platform to and scholar, Qaseem Ibne Naseem the remembrances and mystic poetpromote harmony and oneness Amrohi, a 6th generation poet and ry recited by renowned poets with among people from different cul- scholar of the Amrohi Family. the most respectable literary lineage tures and traditions, celebrating the Tarlook Singh, who was close to and accomplished body of work. oneness of all humanity. Over 300 Sant Darshan Singh and began his By bringing together people from people from around the Tri-State spiritual quest under the guidance all walks of life, the evening proregion attended. This special of Sant Kirpal Singh, was the Chief moted the vision of Love, Peace evening was organized to celebrate Guest. Allama Rehan Naqvi, PhD, and Unity, espoused the teachings the life, work and spiritual poetry of Islamic Center of Suffolk of Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj, of Sant Darshan Singh Ji Maharaj. County, Brentwood, was a special and celebrated the life of Sant The Mushaira honored the legacy guest. His speech on Human Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj. of Sant Darshan Singh (1921- Progression Through Spirituality Science of Spirituality/SKRM is 1989), who was a Master of Surat and Equality was well received. A a nonprofit, multi-faith organization Shabd Yoga and the founder of local poet Qaid Jabalpuri paid trib- that provides a forum for people to Science of Spirituality/Sawan ute to Sant Darshan Singh in his learn meditation, experience perKirpal Ruhani Mission. Sant melodious voice. A very famous sonal transformation, and bring Darshan Singh was acclaimed as poet, Hasnain Raza, presented his about inner and outer peace and Indias greatest mystic poet. He impressive poetry in honor of Sant human unity. It is currently under won four Urdu Academy Awards Darshan Singh. Other poets includ- the direction of H.H. Sant Rajinder for poetry and spread the universal ed Mahmood Rizvi, Abbas Ali Singh Ji Maharaj, who is internamessage of Positive Mysticism. Naqvi, Azhar Zaidi, Baldave tionally recognized for his work The program took place on a week- Thapar and Qaid Jabalpuri. Simrat toward inner and outer peace end celebrating the birth anniver- Kaur and Master Niaz also shared through spirituality. sary of Sant Kirpal Singh Ji their poetic work. Azhar Zaidi preMaharaj (1894-1974), founder- sented poetry of Hasnain Raza in For more information regarding president of the World Fellowship honor of Sant Darshan Singh. events offered at the Science of of Religions, who presided over Master of Ceremonies Jerry Kohli Spirituality Meditation Center, four World Religions Conferences. also sang a ghazal written by Sant contact: 631.822.7979; Sant Kirpal Singh Ji convened the Darshan Singh. During this celebra- NYinfo@sos.org, www.sos.org.
Master of Ceremonies Johri Kohli at the tostrum in front of a picture of Sant Darshan Singh ji Maharaj
Qaseem Ibne Naseem Amrohi, Allama Rehan Naqvi and Johri Kohli.
Hasnain Raza, Qaid Jabalpuri, Tarlook Singh, Qaseem Ibne Naseem Amrohi, Allama Rehan Naqvi, Johri Kohli, Azhar Zehdi taking part in the poetry symposium.
Hasnain Raza, Johri Kohli, Sardar Rehan Naqvi, Mahmood Rizvi and Abbas Ali Naqvi posing for a picture.
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Amy plays a Malayali Christian girl in the 'Ek Deewana Tha' with Prateik Babbar. role in Madrasapattinam (Amys Tamil debut movie). Though I was familiar with Bollywood since there are many in Britain who watch Hindi movies, I hadnt watched any of these films before I came to Chennai. I have been away from home since I was 17. I went to the US to start my modeling career at a very young age. So, venturing into films and handling the pressure wasnt a big task. I feel more comfortable in saris than gowns. Unlike Madrasapattinam where I wear gowns, in Ek Deewana Tha, I wear saris and kurtas. I had never worn one before I started shooting for the film and believe its the most elegant outfit for a woman. Was it hard to memorize Hindi for your part? The British accent is hard to miss. Ever since I decided to shift base to India and made Mumbai my home, I have made an effort to learn Hindi and even take diction classes. I couldn't understand a word of Hindi earlier. Though my voice will be dubbed in the movie, it was easier to memorize Hindi than Tamil. Before takes, I used to practice my lines for almost an hour to get it right. Prateik did help me with the Hindi. How have your friends in the UK responded to your international movie career? I had no prior training in acting. Once Madrasapattinam released, we had a premiere in Liverpool for my friends and family. They were surprised to see me on screen! Even today, many of my friends who are in university back in England find it tough to believe that I am part of Indian cinema. Some of them think I am crazy. For me, this has been a dream come true! Did you enjoy working with Ek Deewana Tha director Gautham Vasudev Menon? A couple of weeks before we began shooting, we did a workshop to understand the personalities of the characters we were playing. Gautham gave me a lot of freedom. He is such a calm and collected director who gives his actors the freedom to experiment. It was nice to be able to give my opinion. What are your plans for the future? I will be starting work in a Tamil film opposite Vikram in March.
riyanka Chopra has been hinting that she is in talks with another film with Karan Johar. And KJo who is friends with Gauri Khan isn't taking this too kindly. PC is banned from that clique and he is quite clear that she won't be doing another Dharma film. Says a source from Dharma, "Priyanka has been telling people that she's signed another film produced by Karan's banner and that has upset the mild-tempered filmmaker. Karan has told his close friends categorically that she is not part of any of his next home productions and not likely to be for the next couple of years at least!" The source adds that Agneepath director Karan Malhotra's next film will also be produced by Johar but it's too soon to talk about it as even the script is not complete. So what film is PC talking about here?
Paradis believes Depp cheated with her with Jolie during the making of "The Tourist". Vanessa was against Johnny working with Angelina in the first place. Angelina drove a wedge between them," the source added.
ctress Reese Witherspoon says people assume that her "Water For Elephants" co-star Robert Pattinson was a "spoiled rotten brat" but he proved everyone wrong with his gracious behavior. "I think everybody was looking at him expecting to see, 'Urgh, this guy is some spoiled-rotten brat' and he wasn't. He was incredibly gracious, smart and actually shy and intro-
verted. He is a very grateful person," contactmusic.com quoted the 35-year-old actress as saying. Witherspoon was particularly impressed by the actor's devotion to his fans. "At the London premiere, people slept out in sleeping bags and they were crying and sobbing, but he takes the time to say hello to everybody and sign autographs," she told Britain's Glamour magazine.
Reese Witherspoon was particularly impressed by the actor's devotion to his fans.
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The Bollywood actress and son of an airline scion were caught in an online war. Going by the promos, the film seems to be targeted towards younger audiences. aran Johar is returning this week to woo the box office with a romantic comedy which coincides with the Valentine's Day revelries. He has teamed up with the fresh pair of Imran Khan and Kareena Kapoor to attract the audiences. Directed by debutant Shakun Batra, the film's cast has Boman Irani, Ratna Pathak Shah and Ram Kapoor and it will be released on 1,200 screens worldwide. It is made at an approximate budget of Rs 2530 crore. In "Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na", Ratna had played Imran's mother, but her character in the new film is a complete contrast. In the film, Rahul Kapoor (Imran), an architect in Vegas, loses his job, but doesn't share the bad
news with his parents and secretly starts the job hunt. His life takes a turn when Riana Braganza (Kareena), a quick-witted hairstylist, enters his life. They meet and after a fun-filled night of debauchery, Rahul and Ria wake up to discover they've got married. They decide to annul their marriage, but in the course of next 10 days they stay together, fight, laugh and end up developing an unlikely friendship which eventually turns into love.There were reports that the film's story is similar to that of Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher-starrer "What Happens In Vegas", but the producer denies this contending that the fact that they get married in Vegas is only an aspect of the movie and not the entire movie. The story is different.
ctress Ayesha Takia is upset after a ground staff member of Kingfisher Airlines misbehaved with her younger sister Natasha at the airport. The worst airline, kingfisher!!! shockingly baddddddddddd airport staff behavior at the Delhi airport with my sister. This disgustingly behaved kingfisher staff called Vinay Podwal just tore my sister's boarding pass n misbehaved with her!!!!," an angry Ayesha wrote on her Twitter page. "Can't believe thisssss!!! I'm in mumbai n I wish I was there rite now 2! soooo angry!! How can this happen!!! how dare this vinay podwal misbehave with a passenger and tear her boarding pass. My heart is beating so fast
with anger that a girl at an airport gets treated this way by airport staff! he is at the kingfisher counter. "Vinay Podwal at Delhi airport, kingfisher staff just threatened and yelled at my sister saying he can throw anyone out n TORE her boarding pass!" she posted. However, the Twitter rant against Kingfisher didn't go down well with its heir Sidhartha Mallya. "Been getting retweets about Ayesha Takia and KFA. not too sure who she is, an actor of some sorts?? But it seems something has upset her!!" he posted. "Don't know why Ayesha Takia is tweeting so much when she wasn't even present. There are
always two sides to a story. Pipe down love," he added. To which Ayesha replied: "Well any Indian citizen can stand up for their rites if treated badly, and I don't have to be anyone you know sidharth mallya!!!! You weren't there either so don't be condescending and defend your freaking staff, first find out what happened! You clearly are unaware of ALOT Sidhartha Mallya!!" "My sister is a normal Indian girl travelling economy so of course you won't give a shit, I know the whole story because it happened to my sister. Therefore I will rant siddharth mallaya, what will you DO!!!! This is your way of dealing with a hospitality business!!! Wow!! Learn manners and respect!!!
While this was confirmed by director Bhandarkar, he refused to elaborate saying, "All I can say is that Kareena is an extremely professional and committed actress." However, a source close to the film revealed, "A suburban five-star will be booked for the sequence, in which, Kareena starts off with smoking and drinking and ends up in bed with Rampal." It has been learnt that the actress has been discussing every little detail of the scene with Bhandarkar, who has assured her that he will shoot the scene very aesthetically.
Kat was apparently aggressively campaigning to bag Soundarya Rajinikanth's film Kochadaiyaan.
eepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif are star crossed in reel and real life. From being ex to current in Ranbir Kapoor's life to their movies, they both found themselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or at the right place at the right time depending from where you
are view it. Kat was apparently aggressively campaigning to bag Soundarya Rajinikanth's Kochadaiyaan. However, Deepika has bagged the coveted role opposite the legend - Rajinikanth. One knows that Deepika was already on the sets romancing Rajini for his Rana when the Tamil
superstar took ill in April 2011. Since Rana has been put on the backburner, Soundarya decided to go ahead with Kochadaiyaan. And very soon all the big Bollywood beauties were sending out feelers. Soundarya's team was in talks with Kat. However, we learnt from our sources that despite best efforts Kat couldn't match the dates.
Director Madhur Bhandarkar has assured Kareena that he will shoot the scene very aesthetically.
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The commercialization of Valentines Day has blurred the distinction between I love you and this is why and I love you and since this cost me a fortune, it should do a good job of showing you how much.
isit any local mall, pharmacy or even a gas station and you will know exactly what time of the year it is. The first week of February has had shoppers, shop owners, clerksjust about everyoneseeing red, pink and white. Hearts, cards, flowers, roses, and chocolates dominate the marketplace right now. Valentines Day is around the corner and it brings along with it a myriad of issues and emotions. February 14 presents itself as a chance for people to make of it what they wish and will. Couples see it as a chance to express love for one another. Heartbroken individuals see it as a chance to vent about their exes and shattered emotions. Shops and marketers see it as a chance to capitalize on one of the most commercialized holidays. Restaurant reservations and special orders for flowers skyrocket because most women like to be pampered on a day when everyone else is doing the same thing. Women often talk among themselves and compare all the extraordinary things their boyfriends or husbands did or bought for them for the V-Day. Most men, while assuredly have their hearts in the right place and dont mind going out of their way to treat their ladies right, cannot help but feel the pressure from them to want to go above and beyond. And because there is an inherent expectation from women to men, men also expect that there will be something special done on behalf of their girlfriends or wives parts. Where did this expectation arise? Was it society that spurred the blurring of a holiday not meant to commemorate the overspending on overpriced goods? There are many who feel that love should not be expressed as such on simply one day of the year. Why designate one day out of an entire year to show the one you love how much you love them? Should that not be the case everyday? Does how much one person spend on another person dictate how they feel about that person? Does one rose mean less than two dozen? These are questions that cloud societal interpretations of the special holidayand thats not even in question. Its the same reason why we see nearly every industry trying to exploit the true meaning of Valentines Day. Gone are the days when
ads h a v ing a valentine simply meant acknowledging either your love, affection, crush or fling with some sweet expressed thoughts. The commercialization of Valentines Day blurred the distinction between I love you and this is why and I love you and since this cost me a fortune, it should do a good job of showing you how much. There are certain industries that obviously bank on a major annual event to boom sales. For example, Staples and Office Max stay open later during the first week in September to take advantage of back to school week. Similarly, Valentines Day serves as a huge payoff for companies like Hallmark and 1-800-FLOWERS. This is all understandable, for these brands help satisfy the basic expectations that arise from Valentines Day. Somewhere along the line, however, nearly every industry started tapping into the mania. For example, cellphone companies are now more aggressively selling white phones and claiming that since white is a color of loveit should be bought for your loved one. This is how extreme its become. Car companies, jewelry stores, clothing shopseach one is trying as hard as the next to try and take advantage of this time of the year. Pauline Wallin, Ph.D., writes in her Valentines Day is Over-Rated article for the Mental Health section of About.com, Isn't there enough pressure in relationships without having to live up to some romantic ideal on Valentine's Day? TV and magazine depict models with perfect bodies and perfect teeth giving each other chocolates, jewelry and back rubs. The message is: Your love is measured by what you buy." The messages that Valentines Day has been giving off have completely lost sight of reality. Modern relationships are difficult enough without having to stage a major performance on a designated day, says Wallin. Men agonize over the greeting card racks, hoping that they can choose a card that is not too funny, not too mushy. And the gift: How will she interpret it? they ponder. If I buy her chocolates will she think I want her to get fat? If I don't buy her chocolates will she think I assume she is fat? Is the gift too extravagant? Is it too impersonal? Are roses too predictable?" But how did it come to this point? Where did Valentines Day get its start and what are the purest ideals of the dayapart from any commercial influences or societal slants? Legends While there are many theories and stories regarding the emergence of Valentine's Day, these are the most popular ones. Legend has it that St. Valentine was a priest who served during third century Rome under the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Claudius II thought that single men made better soldiers than married men so he outlawed marriage for young men in hopes of building a stronger military base. However,
St. Valentine decided this decree was unfair and chose to marry young couples secretly. When Emperor Claudius II found out about Valentines actions he had him put to death. Another legend has it that Valentine was an imprisoned man who fell in love with his jailor's daughter. Before he was put to death he sent the first 'valentine' himself when he wrote her a letter and signed it 'Your Valentine', words still used on cards today. The true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine maybe shrouded in mystery but this much is for sure: February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating back to the Middle Ages. In fact, Valentine's Day ranks second only to Christmas in the number of greeting cards sent. A gentleman who appears everywhere during Valentine's Day and often referred to as the messenger of love is Cupid. The word Cupid is derived from the Latin word cupido meaning "desire". In Roman mythology Cupid is the son of Venus, goddess of love. His counterpart in Greek mythology is Eros, goddess of love. Cupid is often said to be a mischievous boy who goes around wounding both gods and humans with his arrows, causing them to fall in love.
Somebody who appears everywhere during Valentine's Day and often referred to as the messenger of love is Cupid.
The true identity and story behind the man named St. Valentine maybe shrouded in mystery but February has been the month to celebrate love for a long time, dating back to the Middle Ages.
In recent years Valentines Day has pervaded India too and, expectedly, commercially exploited by marketers.
Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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There is no denying that the image of the government has suffered both within and outside. There is time, not much though, to effect a course-correction. fronts India regarding predictability of our investment environment. Can the Indian sovereign be trusted? The "mahout" has done his bit, which is to put a stop to a patent wrong-doing and then leaving it to the sectoral sherpa to draw a fresh auction within four months. This is a laudable deadline. The world will expect India to clean up years of mess within that timeframe. The telecom regulator is already busy dropping hints it will need more time. Surely, it needs to build things from scratch. This includes rebuilding its own organization! But rather than whine, the regulator must see this as a god-sent opportunity to redeem itself. This comment points them to draw inspiration from an unlikely candidate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and its chief rebuilder Robert Mueller. He had taken over as then president George W. Bush's man for FBI just seven days before Sept 11, 2001. On 9/11, his agency found itself staring at perhaps the biggest conceivable systemic failure in US history. But Mueller re-built, indeed redefined his agency, brick by brick. He redefined the FBI from a guns (remember J. Edgar Hoover!) to geeks organization, where the enemy could be in a Somalia or Tora Bora. One of us sat over several hours in Mueller's Harvard class, and the celebrated business case that has documented the rebuilding of FBI. Surely, the TRAI, the DoT, the finance ministry and the PMO don't face a bigger disaster than FBI and the Americans did. India Inc., including the financial institutions and our legal eagles, has an equal responsibility in co-creating a public consultation on the telecom charter. Rather than sit on the sidelines and then lobby for their interests, all the blind men open the third eye within. The world expects no less. At stake is whether India can rebuild its telecom narrative.
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
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Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
The USS John C. Stennis passed through the Straits of Hormuz in November. By Leslie H. Gelb President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations might? Has Kim Jong-un bowed before his Western master? None capitulated even to the American superpower. Thus, its hard to believe that you truly calculate that Ayatollah Khamenei will cry uncle. And if it is to be war, it wont be only Israels war. Yes, Israel will bear the greatest risks in a war now or a war if Iran has nukes. But even if Israel attacks by itself, Tehran also can be expected to strike at America, Europe, and elsewhere. And Tehran likely will unleash terrorists worldwide, possibly with chemical and biological weapons, plus hits on oil pipelines. So the decision to go to war cannot be Israels alone. Both U.S. and Israeli officials tell me that the Obama administration is urging you to be cautious. In an interview Sunday, President Obama expressed solidarity with Israel and also said that diplomacy remains the preferred solution. But you know, Bibi, that most times this White House is too nice about saying hard things to you. And maybe you wont get the message. Let me spell out what I think President Obama is saying to you: the unprecedented economic sanctions against Iran are already hurting and will hurt a lot more
ibi, Israel, curb your overthe-top war rhetoric toward Iran. I urge this as one who cherishes Israel and values military power. But youve got to understand that your constant threats to attack Iran to stop its nuclear program arent working. Unending military threats unite Iranians and fire up their resistance. Economic sanctions weaken and divide themand often produce constituencies for compromise. Give sanctions time to play out. You cannot actually believe Iran will prostrate itself in the face of your threats. As Amos Yadlin, a retired Air Force general and former head of Israeli military intelligence, said Sunday: These statements have reached the point where they have crossed the line from bringing benefit and are beginning to cause damage. Your warnings will ignite war and will not foster Irans abandoning its nuclear program. Did Saddam Hussein kneel before George W. Bushs threats? Did the Taliban handcuff itself when faced with Americas military
The United States, for what it's worth, ranked No. 14 on the list of 23 countries, earning the "distrusters" label.
U.S.-China Relations. "But, I think one would do well to approach the results with a cautious eye. The survey is conducted online and includes only collegeeducated citizens in the top quarter income bracket. This is hardly a representative sampling of Chinese public opin-
ion, and excludes those constituencies arguably least served by their government." The Pew Research Center released a similar report in 2011 that showed an increase, over four years, in the Chinese peoples satisfaction with their countrys direction. This data explains that trust can also be viewed in a nationalist sense many Chinese who may not be personally happy also believe that their country is making economic progress. Even though 63 percent of those in China rank their life today in the medium category, 74 percent are optimistic that there will be progress in China in the next five years. Reporters Without Borders also recently released their press freedom rankings. It's interesting to see where some of the countries that rank highest in trust fall on the press freedom scale. Courtesy: Asia Society
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The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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February 11-17, 2012 Gold rush: Burglars target NRI homes in Britain
London: Burglars armed with metal detectors and intimate knowledge of the purity of gold have been targeting houses belonging to people with origins in the Indian sub-continent, who traditionally preserve gold jewelry in the family for generations. Reports of many houses belonging to the Asian community being burgled have prompted the police and local councillors to launch special awareness campaign in various towns across Britain, such as Birmingham, Slough, Ealing, Leicester, Reading and Bradford. The rising price of gold is a major reason for the spurt in burglaries for the yellow metal. Despite tighter security, stolen jewelry finds its way into the flourishing resale market. Besides houses, hundreds of jewelry shops have also been targeted often in Leicester, Birmingham and Manchester. The price of gold is currently 1,100 pounds for an ounce. In Leicester, Belgrave Road, better known as 'Little India' and 'Golden Mile' due to the large number of jewelry shops there, has witnessed several burglaries in the recent past, leading to major losses and upgraded security by the business community and the police.
Abhigyan (3) and Aishwarya (1) Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna underlined the need for children to spoke to his Norwegian counterpart be brought up in familiar cultural regarding the case last month and surroundings.
The fair will host around 75 galleries "But they want to keep their conCarver, an arts writer and adminnection with India," she said. istrator who has been in Dubai for Four leading Indian galleries, the last eight years, said "the visiincluding Chemould Presscott tors' profile of the fair has changed Road (Mumbai), Experimenter in the last few years with more and (Kolkata), Galerie Mirchandani + more participation of non-resident Steinruecke (Mumbai) and Seven Indian collectors - even from Art Limited (New Delhi), will London and New York". present a medley of old and new The director of Art Dubai said Indian art at Art Dubai. "the fair will display art works by "The fair is well-supported by nearly 600 artists". major Indian business families in "It will exhibit more than 1,000 the United Arab Emirates," Carver sculptures and lots of video," said. Carver said.
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Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Maldives new president Manmohan pledges support to form coalition govt to new Maldivian president
ing president of MDP," he added. After three weeks of continuous protests, later joined by police in the Republic square in Male, Mohamed Nasheed resigned from the post of president. Waheed, who was vice president in Nasheed's administration, is to continue as president till the next presidential election in 2013. The new president said that by the end of the day he would be able to get an idea how many parties are going to join him to form the government of National Unity and their suggestion for nominations will be sent to the People's Majlis, the country's parliament. In the meantime, the government will continues with the support of independent civil servants in the country's respective institutions, Waheed said.
Newly-appointed Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed. Male: Newly-appointed Xinhua. Maldivian President "I will work with the spirit Mohamed Waheed of coalition with various announced he would form a partners of the country. coalition government with Together with them, we will the participation of all polit- be able to build a stable ical parties, including for- democratic country that mer president Mohamed respects individual freedom Nasheed's Maldivian foremost (and) respects and upholds (the) constitution Democratic Party (MDP). Waheed, appearing before that guarantees the bill of media for the first time at rights for our people," said the President's House since Waheed. assuming office, said dis"I am in consultation with cussions were underway to all the major political parform a National Unity ties. I have had several Government, reported meetings with them, includ-
Outgoing Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed. New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written to new Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed assuring him of India's continued support after the dramatic regime change in the archipelago. India was committed to working with the Maldives for the "security and prosperity" of both the countries, Manmohan Singh said in his felicitation letter to Waheed. "I take this opportunity to extend my warm felicitations to you on your assumption of office as president of the Maldives,"
Manmohan Singh wrote in the letter, the text of which was released to the media Wednesday. He said India as a close and friendly neighbor would continue to support the Maldivian people's efforts to build a "stable, peaceful and prosperous country". Stating that the countries shared a common destiny with common security interests, the prime minister said: "India is committed to working with you and the government in Maldives to further enhance our close, bilateral cooperation to mutual benefit and for the continued security, progress and prosperity of our two countries." Maldives is strategically located along the major sea lanes in Indian Ocean. India and Maldives share close ties. In 1988, India had responded to a call by then president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to help quell an externally-induced coup attempt by rebels from Sri Lanka. Waheed, vice president of Maldives, was sworn in as president of the Indian Ocean archipelago after Mohammed Nasheed was compelled to resign following widespread protests against him. Nasheed's was the island's first democratically elected government. Waheed has pledged to form a national unity government until polls in 2013.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. cabinet with a consensus decision. He clarified that MFN was not a special status as generally thought, rather it was non-discrimination in trade like with other 100 countries of the world. The decision was meant to hold trade talks, but the government would never compromise on national interests, he said. He also mentioned that the cross LoC (Line of Control) trade since 2008 had reached around Rs.15 billion. "But the cross LoC trade does not mean that we will back out from the issue of Kashmir."
International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Moscow: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will declare a date in the near future for a referendum on a new constitution for his country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said following talks with the Syrian leader in Damascus. "President Assad said that in the next few days, he will meet with a commission which has prepared a new constitution project. This work is complete, now a time will be announced for the referendum for this document which is so important to Syria," Lavrov said. Al-Assad is ready for dialogue with all political forces in the country, and also ready to make talks happen, Lavrov said. "It's clear that effort to stop use of force must coincide with a declaration of dialoge between all political forces. Today (Tuesday) we have received confirmation of the Syrian President's readiness to work toward this task," he added. Lavrov's visit, together with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Mikhail Fradkov, came three days after Russia and China vetoed a UN Security
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rome: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would like Pope Benedict to visit Iran, Teheran's ambassador to the Vatican said. "If the pope decides to come, we will welcome him in an excellent way, and, as far as the government is concerned, we will welcome him with enthusiasm," Ali Akbar Naseri told reporters. Benedict has a standing invitation to visit the Islamic Republic but has so
Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai. Washington: India underlined its commitment to implementing the landmark civil nuclear deal when Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and held a series of meetings here. Clinton dropped by at a meeting between Deputy Secretary of State William Burns and Mathai, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said. Clinton's meeting with Mathai was to "make clear that we support these consultations on the full range of issues", said Nuland. Clinton is looking forward to the US-India Strategic Dialogue later this year, Nuland said. In his meetings with senior US diplomats, Mathai is understood to have conveyed India's stand on a wide range of regional and global issues, including Iran, the situation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and the situation in West Asia. Mathai held wide-ranging discussions with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Windy Sherman and top officials from the State Department, including Assistant Secretary of State for PoliticalMilitary Affairs Andrew Shapiro, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake, and Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights Maria Otero. The talks have set the stage for the third round of India-US Strategic Dialogue for which External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will visit Washington later this year. In his meetings, Mathai reinforced India's commitment to implementing the India-US nuclear deal and assured a level playing field for American nuclear companies. "We are committed to translating the success of our diplomatic partnership in changing the global nuclear order into an equally productive commercial cooperation in civil nuclear energy," Mathai said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a leading US think tank.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna in Beijing. and other materials imported from India. Designed by Indian architect
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Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
In Brief
In the financial year 2009-10, the economy grew by 7.4 percent. creating assets, grew at a slower rate to Rs.26,09,963 crore in 201112 as against Rs.23,31,382 crore in the previous financial year. Any weakening in this indicator signifies that the economy is slowing. Among key sectors that slowed down in the year, ending March, are manufacturing, which is expected to expand by just 3.9 percent, while mining sector will see a negative growth of -2.2 percent. According to the latest estimates available on the index of industrial production, the index of manufacturing registered growth rates of 4.1 percent during April-November of the current fiscal. Agriculture too rose at a tardy pace of 2.5 percent, compared to
Domestic airlines are estimated to have lost around Rs. 3,000 crore in the first six months of this fiscal.
Airlines, on the other hand, have not yet come out with any logistics plan for storing and importing the fuel. This was one of the arguments by the three oil marketing companies Hindustan Petroleum, Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum, who were opposing the move. The minister also said that the EGoM has approved the debt restructuring plan of the national carrier Air India and that it will go to the union cabinet for a final nod. The national carrier will be allowed to raise Rs.7,400 crore via bonds, backed by a sovereign guarantee, said Singh.
Luxembourg: The world's largest steel maker ArcelorMittal's loss widened to $1 billion in OctoberDecember 2011 due to subdued European demand and an $1.3 billion outgo on deferred tax, impairments and restructuring charges. "The progressive recovery that we have been experiencing was impacted in the second half of the year by the growing uncertainty over the economic situation in Europe, which particularly affected sentiment and performance in the fourth quarter," ArcelorMittal Chairman and CEO Lakshmi Mittal said. The company, which had reported $780 million loss in October-December quarter of 2010, partly attributed the loss during the fourth quarter to $1.3 billion non-cash charges, which deferred tax, asset impairments and restructuring.
Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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These are serious issues affecting not just the Facebook world and stockholders, but determinants of socially acceptable and ethical values. Will the IPO interfere with the modest values that the brand is based upon? It seems like just yesterday when the privatebased Facebook trademark prided itself on merely serving as a culture-changing element to broaden the scope of social media and connecting the world. Zuckerberg maintains that these values can coexist with making moneyhe has told both the public and large mass of potential investors this. Facebook was not originally founded to be a company, says Zuckerberg. Weve always cared primarily about our social mission, the services were building and the people who use them. This is a different approach for a public company to take. I think it works. Skepticism has met Zuckerbergs claims. Danny Sullivan, an expert on the industry and editor of the web site Search Engine Land, told the New York Times that I would suspect that Mark Zuckerberg could say whatever he wants, but hes probably still going to find that Wall Street is going to influence how he runs his company. Chhabra included another critics harsh assessment of Zuckerbergs language. Tom
Foremski, a former journalist and blogger, referred to Zuckerbergs social mission as vague. He went on to say that That's about as far as he gets. He spends many paragraphs saying pretty much not much at all, wishywashy phrases, said in different ways: how Facebook enables people to share, that sharing is good, that open government is good, and that sharing helps people's relationships; and how it's good to connect people, and to give people voice. At times he makes Facebook sound like a phone company. Reach out and share with someone it makes the world a better place. There are strong sentiments abound about not only matters of compatibility between the two seemingly opposite sides of the spectrum, but also if Zuckerbergs words hold water. Is he saying what the general public would like to hear or is there financial motivation behind ultimately upholding the core values of Facebooks foundationand more importantly, is the latter even a priority? Time will tell. In the meantime, consider what Lori Andrews has to say in her opinion piece, Facebook is Using You, in The New York Times. Facebook makes money by selling ad space to companies that want to reach us, says Andrews, a professor of law at
Chicago-Kent College of Law. If you indicate that you like cupcakes, live in a certain neighborhood and have invited friends over, expect an ad from a nearby bakery to appear on your page. The magnitude of online information Facebook has available about each of us for targeted marketing is stunning. In Europe, laws give people the right to know what data companies have about them, but that is not the case in the United States. Andrews brings to light a very serious issue here. There is a very obvious lack of accountability for companies aggregation of our personal information and subsequent direct advertisement to us. Facebooks IPO will likely rank the company among the worlds largest. Zuckerberg forecasts that Facebook will double in size every year. Alas, this public venture and rapid-growth plan promises to only increase such occurrences and highlight the issues facing us.
New Delhi: For a generation that has learnt to articulate thoughts in 140 characters and knows its smartphones and tabs, e-textbooks are only the next step. But some infrastructure bottlenecks need to be taken care of before that education revolution takes place in India, experts say. Technology giant Apple recently launched an app for digital textbooks that saw an astronomical 350,000 downloads globally in the first three days. Educationists agree that digitized textbooks are a key to the future of education. "E-textbooks do hold the key to the future as the coming generation is tech-savvy. It is the era of computers, trees will be saved and children wouldn't need to carry heavy bags," says Madhulika Singh, principal of Delhi's Tagore International School. But she also expressed worry over the availability of sufficient resources. "There are shortcomings at present which will take a long time to overcome. For reaping the real benefits of e-textbooks, we have to presume that every child has access to a computer and internet... a lot of structural reform is needed," she adds. But there's a lot of enthusiasm over the easy availability and other features of a digitized textbook. "My eight-year-old daughter spends so much time on the computer that it is difficult to make her read books. But, at the same time, reading online is something she does willingly," says Neelam Tripathi, a software professional working in Gurgaon. "An e-textbook, I think, is nothing less than a boon; it can motivate children to study," she says. E-textbooks are the very basis for e-classrooms. Its advantage over traditional methods of teaching includes animations and illustrations which are not possible in ordinary textbooks. Apart from the ability to carry an entire year's syllabus in one's palm, e-textbooks offer the opportunity to learn in multiple mediums -- text, video and audio. Even as India's market for digital textbooks remains limited, booksellers see it as the future. "E-textbooks are a natural follow-on to the current
E-textbooks knocking at Indian Indo-US trade to cross classroom doors $100 bn this year
Washington: The bilateral goods and services trade between India and the US is expected to cross a record $100 billion in 2012, the US Ambassadordesignate to India Nancy Powell has said. Testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Powell, who will be the first woman US ambassador to India, said that the export to India is well on its mark to achieve the goal of the US President Barack Obama to double in five years. "We have made unprecedented progress in expanding our economic relations with India. Our bilateral goods and services trade will top $100 billion in 2012. "This represents an astounding quadrupling of trade since 2000, moving India up from our 25th largest trading partner to our 12th," Powell said. She said that bolstering trade and investment would be one of her top priorities while she is in New Delhi as the top American diplomat. "I look forward to working with a wide inter-agency team and with our Indian counterparts to reduce barriers, including through negotiation of a Bilateral Investment Treaty, and to expand the areas where we do business," she said. "I am eager to support the efforts to ensure full implementation of the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, including ensuring a level playing field for American companies in the commercial
Unlike most current e-books, which are flat texts with no interactive elements (largely built to cater to novels and fiction), educational books have text, images, tables and references trend of digital education being introduced in classrooms across India which is making students familiar with the digital medium," says Soumya Banerjee, founder of Attano, a software. "Educational e-books also have evaluation features as tests and assessments are built into the book which gives an immediate indication of a student's performance," he says. Founded in 2009, Attano introduced e-textbooks in India, converting the plain textbooks into interactive books with corresponding diagrams and pictures. It makes available e-texbooks from the primary level to Class 12. "The books are highly user-friendly; even a six-year-old can use it," he says. "We are focusing on individual buyers; just like parents go to shops and buy the hard copy of a text book, they can buy it online." "The digitiszd books elaborate the concepts; for example, if the chapter has to explain the heart and its functioning, the diagram will be digitized, which will make it easy for children to understand. "Currently most e-books are flat texts with no interactive elements (largely built to cater to novels and fiction). Educational books are different in that they have text, images, tables and references. We're pushing the boundaries to make them more interactive - integrating audio, video, tests and knowledge sources like dictionaries and wikipedia."
Nancy Powell, the US Ambassadordesignate to India applications of nuclear energy," she said in her remarks. Powell said the US Mission in India actively seeks opportunities to keep and create jobs in America. "In response to the President's National Export Initiative, the US Mission promotes the export of US products, services and technologies, supporting tens of thousands of jobs in the United States," she said. India, with its 1.2 billion population and large and balanced consumer economy, represents a huge, fast growing market for US manufactured goods, and our exports are growing at over 17% a year. "At this rate, exports from the United States to India are expected to nearly double in the five years from 2009 to 2014," Powell said. The Ambassador-designate said that if she is confirmed for the coveted post, she would also work on expanding defence co-operation with India.
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Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Yuvraj Singh left for the US last month and is undergoing chemotherapy at the Cancer Research Institute in Boston. Cup, left for the US last month and is undergoing chemotherapy
Sahara chief Subroto Roy withdrew the sponsorship of Team India and also pulled out of the IPL. popular in India and Sahara's pullout won't affect the coffers of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) since there are several corporate majors willing to sponsor the cricket team. "Ten years back sponsorship was difficult in cricket. But now cricket is very rich and there are many people who are interested to be sponsor. So I don't think there is any problem. But I have promised them I am not going to walk out till they get a sponsor," said Roy. Roy said his main concern is about Pune Warriors. Sahara bought Pune Warriors for a whopping Rs.1,700 crore making it the most expensive IPL franchise. "My first concern is that our players should not be deprived of playing in the IPL this year. It will be really bad for them. It is important that they should play. I have already requested the BCCI to get them in any organization fast so that they can play in this IPL also. So we will sit and discuss all this. I don't want that BCCI and our team (Pune Warriors) should be in problem in any manner. I am sure when we will sit we will come out with good solutions," said Roy.
Virat Kohli in action against Sri Lanka at Perth. unbeaten on 24 and 30 to take the team home safely. Ashwin, who picked up three for 32, was also adjudged the Man of the Match.
Ravindra Jadeja, cricket's new million-dollar man. Royals. Fast bowlers Shantakumaran Sreesanth, Rudra Pratap Singh and spinner Ramesh Powar were bought by Royals, Mumbai Indians and Kings XI respectively for $400,000, $600,000 and $160,000.
Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Sutradhar "narrator" Praan at Daniell's Tavern in the Imperial in New Delhi, who takes guests through the collection of 18th Century art chronicled when two famous British landscape artists, Thomas and William Daniell.
Ritu Kumar film to bring alive how they are relevant across ages and cultures," she added. Dancer Anita Ratnam represented Ganga, Dia walked the ramp as Draupadi, Kirron Kher was Kunti, Seema Biswas was Amba and Sushmita Sen portrayed Gandhari. The collection was a mix of lehangas, kurtis, suits and saris in chanderi, cotton and tie & dye. "It was delicate and feminine, with a vibrant colour palate comprising strong hues and bright, bold
Manali: "What a nice ski slope," remarked Canadian skier John Lee. Lee and his friends are skiing on the Solang slopes near this picturesque tourist resort and are among the 336 participants gathered here for a four-day Alpine Premier League that began Monday. "It's really not so crowded (like the slopes in Europe), we are here for the first time," remarked Aiden, another skier. According to event organisers, the participants included 12 foreigners from Canada, Switzerland, Finland, Norway and France. The competitions to be held are slalom, giant slalom, snow-board giant slalom, snow-board crosscountry 5-km race for men and women and giant slalom both for junior boys and girls, and men's veteran (40 years and above). The championship is organised by a private firm, Ski Himalayas Ropeway Pvt Ltd, in association with local ski clubs and the state tourism department. The state-run Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports
is providing technical assistance to the event. The Solang slopes have more than three-and-a-half foot snow, Randhir Singh Salhuria, director of mountaineering institute, told. "In the past two days, the slopes piled up around two feet snow. This time the snow is plentiful. It will stay here till end of the next month," he added. Amitabh Sharma, the skiing event organiser, said teams from the Indian Army's High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Gulmarg, the Indian Air force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and various clubs from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and the host state will participate in the championship. After a gap of seven years, the Winter Games Federation of India allowed the Himachal Pradesh Winter Games Association in 2010 to hold the National Senior Alpine Skiing Championship at Solang. The Solang slopes offer a challenging run to both beginners and advanced skiers and are of international standards, said Salhuria.
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Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info
hy do some people seem to have all the luck in the world while others have no luck whatsoever? Delma Kinney, 51, of Atlanta is one of the lucky ones. He won $1 million in an instant lottery game in 2008, then did it again recently. Yes, two lottery wins in three years! As Kinney told the Atlanta JournalConstitution, he stopped at a convenience store to pick up some cold medicine, decided to buy an instant lottery ticket and won another million bucks. It must be nice: one moment, you have a cold; the next moment, youre blowing your nose on $100 bills. The last time I stopped at a convenience store to buy cold medicine, I thought it was my lucky day too: the doughnuts were on sale. That just goes to show you, of course, that whether you feel lucky or not depends on your expectations. I feel lucky when I wake up in the morning, look out the window and see that no one has stolen our car. I feel lucky when my wife prepares a healthful dinner for us and gives most of the vegetables to the kids. I feel lucky when I switch channels on my TV and dont see a single Kardashian. I feel lucky when my wife exchanges more words with me on any given day than with her Facebook friends.
tanned bodies. I feel lucky when its a Friday night, the kids have gone to bed, and my wife whispers into my ear, Do you feel lucky? Yes, honey, I say. I do feel lucky. She smiles, pulls me closer and gives me a kiss. Then she sends me to the convenience store to buy lottery tickets.
I feel lucky when I go for my annual physical and the doctor spends less time examining me than the guy at airport security. I feel lucky when Im standing in line at the grocery store and can catch up on Jennifer Anistons love life. I feel lucky when I watch music videos with my children and the artists are wearing more than just their musical instruments. I feel lucky when I can get a loan to buy a car and the loan officer at the bank doesnt ask me if I can afford gas. I feel lucky when the guy at the pawn shop doesnt ask me whose earrings those are. I feel lucky when everything works in my house: the dishwasher, the washing machine, the Alpha Male Plus pills. I feel lucky when I tell my children to take a bath and at least one of them gets off the couch
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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No matter how comfortable we can make the physical body and how comfortable we can make our mind, we cannot find peace until we attain comfort of the soul.
fading. The tears attracted the heart of the spirit of the forest. The spirit asked him why he was crying. He told him that he wanted to learn to sing like the birds so he could keep the princess happy. The spirit of the forest said, "Here is the secret to singing like the birds and making not only the princess happy, but everyone happy." He then instructed him to take a branch from a tree, cut out the inside to make it hollow, and make holes on one of the sides. He told him to blow into one end and place his fingers over the different holes in different combinations of movements so that different sweet sounds would come out. The young man did, and beautiful sounds came out of this piece of wood. He had made the first wind instrument, like a flute or oboe. When the young man played the instrument, all the birds and animals were attracted to him. They or Master who comes to make the soul happy. The Master knows the secrets of life and the enchanting Sound that can lift the soul above the violence, pain, and sorrow of this world to experience immortality and eternal happiness in the Beyond. The wind instrument represents the current of Light and Sound that comes from beyond to lift us from this world of pain and violence to experience nonviolence, peace, and love in the spiritual realms beyond. There we find regions of love, joy, and happiness, free from all pain. One of the greatest threats to our peace and happiness is fear. We may fear financial problems, relationship problems, and emotional problems. Yet, the greatest fears people face are fear of illness, fear of death, and fear of the unknown, such as what happens to us after this life ends. We are afraid of the deterioration of our We worry about when we are going to die, what happens to us at the time of death, and where we will go after death? Scriptures tell us that we have a soul that does not die, but we wonder whether it is actually true. In this scientific age, we have doubt unless we can see for ourselves the truths we read in the various scriptures. Greater than comfort of the body and mind is the comfort we gain from having peace within the soul. This can only come when we get some experience that proves to us that there is something beyond this world, and that there is no death. Masters and saints come with a technique that provides a way to experience that proof for ourselves. When we have proof that there is something beyond this world, our fear subsides. Since death causes us the greatest fear, saints give us a way to conquer fear of death by prov-