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7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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By Arun Kumar
Washington: Amid a perception
that India-US relationship has
plateaued of late, both Washington
and New Delhi are banking on a
"very successful" visit by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh herenext month to take their ties to
greater heights.
Manmohan Singh will be in the
capital September 27 for a short
working visit, but National
Security Adviser Shivshankar
Menon, who was here to lay
ground for the visit, expressed con-
fidence Tuesday "in terms of sub-
stance it's going to be a good visit."
The plans include a "very sub-
stantive" meeting with President
Obama followed by a lunch at the
White House, Menon said hereafter meetings with his counterpart
Susan Rice, Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel and Deputy Secretary
of State Bill Burns.
"When two leaders meet at that
The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Travel 26 Spiritual Awareness 30US Affairs 8 excellence in journalism
Beirut: The United Nationsdemanded Thursday that Syria
give its chemical weapons
experts immediate access to
rebel-held Damascus suburbs
where poison gas appears to
have killed hundreds just a few
miles from the UN team's hotel,
even as condemnation for the
suspected attack by the Assad
regime kept pouring in from the
world community, including
India. There was no sign, how-
ever, that scientists would soon
be taking samples at the scene of
horrors that have drawn compar-
ison with the gassing of thou-
sands of Iraqi Kurds in 1988 by
Saddam Hussein.President Bashar Assad's oppo-
nents gave death tolls from 500
to well over 1,000 and said more
bodies were being found in the
wake of Wednesday's mysterious
Op Ed 13
India, US bank
on Manmohan
Singh visit to
boost ties
Hicksville, NY: The Nassau
County Indian American commu-
nity is organizing a Dinner-
Reception here to welcome and
felicitate Shri Anna Hazare, world
famous for his sustained anti-cor-
ruption and Jan Lok Pal (ombuds-
man) movements in India.
The gala event will be held on
August 27 at Antun's by Minar in
Hicksville on Long Island.Consul General of India in New
York, Amb Dnyaneshwar Mulay
and Nassau County Executive Hon.
Ed Mangano are invited Guests of
Honor for the by-invitation-only
event. The prestigious event is a
collaborative effort by Antun's By
Anti-corruption crusader and Gandhian Anna Hazare
World condemnssuspected gasattack in Syria
Thousands march with Vidya Balanand Anna Hazare in NYC parade
Bollywood star Vidya Balan (pictured) as Grand Marshal led theNYC India Day Parade along with anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare
even as thousands marched in Manhattan in the impressiveparade which displayed the country's vibrant culture.
See reports of celebrations of Indias 67th Independence Day on pages 16-17.
Vol.6 No. 18 August 24-30, 2013 60 Cents New York Edition Follow us on TheSouthAsianTimes.info
PM meeting Obama in the White HouseSept 27 with comprehensive agenda.
Nassau County Indian community tofelicitate Anna Hazare
Continued on page 4
Continued on page 4 Continued on page 4
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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August 24-30, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.infoAugust 24-30, 2013SouthAsianTimes.info
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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3August 24-30, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
De Blasio slightly ahead of Christinein NYC mayor race
New York: The surprising new front-runner in theNYC mayor 's race received the bulk of the attacks
Wednesday in the penultimate debate with less than
three weeks to go until the Democratic primary.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who has a slight lead
in recent polls, held his own against the attack.
"The public advocate is good at telling people what to
do but not good at getting things done," City Council
Speaker Christine Quinn accused him.
"Would the real Bill de Blasio please stand up?" ex-
comptroller Bill Thompson asked.
De Blasios supporters released this statement about
their candidates performance at the debate: "Bill de
Blasio is connecting with New Yorkers because he is
the only candidate who will truly break from the
Bloomberg years. From calling for a ban on racial pro-
filing and real reform to stop and frisk to proposing a
tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers to pay for universalearly education and expanded after-school programs,
Bill demonstrated tonight (at the debate) that he is the
best choice to stand up for middle and working-class
New Yorkers.
The police stop-and-frisk policy, and other com-
plaints that police unfairly target minorities, repeatedly
emerged as a flashpoint in the 90-minute televised
debate, which featured seven Democratic candidates
including Comptroller John Liu.
De Blasio, widely considered as the most progressive
Democratic candidate in the race in a blue city, became
the front-runner for the first time just a week ago.
Quinn led in the polls most of the year until ex-
Congressman Anthony Weiner took a turn at the top
before his suppor t collapsed over the lates t sexting
scandal.
Recent polls suggest it's a three-person race for two
run-off spots. In a Quinnipiac poll released last week,
de Blasio had slight leads on Quinn and Thompson, but
all three were within the margin of error.
If no Democratic candidate reaches 40 percent of thevote in the Sept. 10 primary, the top two advance to a
run-off three weeks later. The winner of that advances
to the November general election. Three major
Republican candidates and an independent also are
running.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio's biracial familyis centerstage in the mayoral race.
NYC mayoral contender Christine Quinnparticipated in the India Day Parade in
Manhattan Aug 18.
Miss Universe 2013
to visit India
(From left) New York based fashion designer Sanjana Jon,Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, Amb. Dnyaneshwar Mulay and
Sashi Abraham, mother of fashion designer Anand Jon at theIndian consulate. (Photo: Stephen Shadrach)
By Jinal Shah
New York: After winning a
million hearts world over, the
reigning Miss Universe Olivia
Culpo of United States is all set
to dazzle India. She will be vis-
iting India Sept 27- Oct 6,
wehre she will visit hospitals,
orphanages and a few NGOs in
Delhi, Mumbai, etc, raising
awareness about HIV/Aids and
educating children and women
as UN goodwill ambassador.
Her visit was announced on
Wednesday at the Indian con-
sulate by the Consul General,
Ambassador Dnyaneshwar
Mulay. Calling her visit a
br id ge be tw ee n In dia and
Americas youth, he said, A
huge chunk of population in
India is young and Miss
Universes an iconic figure
among youth- visit to India will
be a great opportunity to con-
nect not just culturally but intel-lectually too with the younger
population.
During her 10 day trip, Culpo
will raise awareness about girl
child issue and women empow-
erment, an initiative by fashion
designer Sanjana Jon. Her visit
will be the sixth of a reigning
Miss Universe to the country,
an initiative of the Sanjana
Jons company, IG
International, that deals in
celebrity charity events.
I am probably one of the
youngest title holders than my
pr edec esso rs (w ho vi si te d
India) so I hope the younger
population in India will respond
well. I would also like to
indulge in open conversation
with women and help them
raise their voices, said Culpo,
21, who looked ravishing in an
ethnic Indian dress designed by
Sanjana Jon.
Culpo will also do the golden
triangle Delhi, Agra and
Jaipur. I am really excited to
see the Taj Mahal! she said.
Asked about foreigners shy-
ing away from India after the
2012 Delhi rape case and such
cases reported in the western
media, Culpo said, There is alot of progress that needs to be
made; a lot of things need to be
fixed. It (Delhi rape) was such a
tragedy but I am an optimist.
She even vouched to share her
experience of travelling in
India.
Nassau CountyExecutive Edward
Mangano and NY StateSenator Carl Marcellino(right) join ITV host RitiBhalla for celebrating
the 66th anniversary ofthe Independence Day of
India. South CarolinaGovernor Nikki Haleyalso appeared on the
program.
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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5August 24-30, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info TRISTATE COMMUNITY
New Jersey: The long awaited trial
against two of the defendants ac-
cused of killing computer scientist
Dr.Divyendu Sinha in a brutal attack
June 25,2010 finally began Aug 13.
Sinha, 49 when he died, was at-
tacked while on a walk with his wifeand two sons. He was taken to a hos-
pital and died three days after the at-
tack.
Sinha and his sons were attacked
by four young men, two Cash
Johnson and Christian Tinli who
are currently on trial for the fatal
beating. Suspect Christopher Con-
way, 20, pleaded guilty last month to
his role in the attack, saying he had
not hit Sinha or his sons but did egg
on the others as they delivered their
brutal blows. Conway is expected to
receive a sentence of eight years un-
der a plea bargain.
In February, suspect Julian Daley
pleaded guilty also under a plea
bargaining agreement to aggravat-
ed assault and aggravated
manslaughter for his role in Sinhas
death; he is expected to receive 15
years in prison. Steven Contreras, the
driver of the vehicle, was acquitted
of murder last May, but pleaded
guilty later in the year to lesser
charges under a plea agreement, inwhich he provided evidence against
the four remaining suspects.
Contreras, Daley and Conway will
all testify against Tinli and Johnson
during the trial, which is expected to
continue into mid-September.
Jury selection for the Johnson and
Tinlis cases began Aug. 7. An ex-
haustive comb-through of 300 poten-
tial jurors took three days until a fi-
nal jury of five African Americans,
11 Caucasians and Latinos includ-
ing four alternate jurors was estab-
lished.
Dr.Divyendu Sinha (May 31,1961 - June 28, 2010)
Edison, NJ: In the wake of the
tragedy in the northern Indian state
of Uttarkhand, BAPS Charities part-
nered with the BAPS SwaminarayanSanstha in India to provide relief to
those affected by the floods and land-
slides. Immediately, food, blankets
and other emergency supplies were
sent from New Delhi to Uttarakhand
for distribution to the victims.
BAPS Charities raised awareness
about the devastation in Uttarakhand
and solicited donations and support.
BAPS provided volunteers and dedi-
cated its efforts to ensure that the re-
sources were used in a manner to
maximize effectiveness.
Rushing to aid those affected by
this terrible disaster, over 645 dedi-
cated volunteers packed and distrib-
uted over 8,500 kits totaling 60 tonsof food including items such as
wheat flour, rice, water bottles, etc.
Additionally, 50 tons of household
supplies including blankets, flash-
lights, cooking utensils, soap,
footwear, cooking utensils, clothes,
and much more were also distributed
to the disaster victims.
Expressing his appreciation, Pujya
Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Ma-
haraj, President and Spiritual Head
of Parmarth Niketan Ashram in
Rishikesh, India said, We are happy
that BAPS and its volunteers are
here, working with us for the Ut-
tarakhand relief. By them participat-
ing, our organization is benefiting
and is being guided by their experi-ence, discipline and efficiency."
Despite the difficult terrains and
the danger of landslides, volunteers
and partners personally visited vil-
lages to distribute food rations and
household supplies in over 30 vil-
lages. In total, 1,200 tarpaulins, 230
tents and 14,252 blankets were pro-
vided for the disaster victims. These
items helped cover food, shelter and
household needs.
In addition, the volunteers provid-
ed and distributed over 77,685 free
medicines and 1,665 first aid materi-
als to needy patients, families and or-
ganizations. Volunteer doctors con-
ducted medical camps, offered med-ical counseling and treated over 200
victims. Further, they distributed 50
medical relief kits to the medical per-
sonnel of effected villages and other
organizations.
Highlighting the efforts by relief
volunteers, Mr. Satyendra Ukashi,
relief volunteer of Uttarkashis Shri
Vishwanath Sanskrit Mahavidyalay,
said, "(We were) highly impressed
by BAPS volunteers level of detail-
ing in terms of execution, practical
decision-making and documenta-
tion."
BAPS Charities extends help toUttarakhand flood victims
Have a swab, get a drink, save a life!Washington, DC: Friends of a young Indian-American
woman who has been diagnosed with a rare disease have
launched a unique drive in a New York bar to get bone
marrow donors to save her and others like her.
The drive has been organized to help Monica Chopra,
resident of a San Francisco suburb, who at 26 was diag-
nosed with severe aplastic anemia, in which the bone
marrow stops making enough red blood cells, white cells
and platelets for the body.
The only cure is a bone marrow donation. Her doctors
have been experimenting with immunosuppressive ther-
apy, a way to suppress the white blood cells so her red
cells and platelets can grow.
To date no one in Chopra's immediate or extended
family are a match, including her only brother Neil.
As soon as Chopra heard about her rare condition, the
first thing she did was reach out to the ones closest to her
and asked them to live their life to the fullest, her friends
say.
The idea behind having a social mixer in the heart of
New York City is to find a South Asian donor aged 18 to
44 as similar ethnicities have the highest chances of be-
ing matches for one another.Potential donors have been
invited to come to the Van Diemens Bar and get regis-
tered at Be The Match Registry with a cheek swab with
a Q-tip and "enjoy happy hour drink prices and compli-
mentary appetizers." Aplastic anemia affects just 5 in
every one million people.
Nearly 200 physicians from across the nation partici-pated in the first ever inspirational symposium titled,Womens Health and Wealth: Leadership in the 21st
Century organized by Association of AmericanPhysicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the New YorkCounty Medical Society , and Pranna Restaurant on
Aug 18th . Dr. Juhi Chawla, AAPI New York City MetroWomens Forum Chair (extreme left) and Dr. Ami
Shah, AAPIs national Women's Forum Chair (extremeright) with speakers, Monica Mehta, Dr. Poonam
Alaigh, Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Padma Lakshmi,and Dr. Devi Nampiaparampil.
Sinha trial begins against two of four defendants
India.com launches in true Bollywood styleNew York: India.com, a Zee Entertainment initiative,launched in the United States with a big Bollywood fan-
fare at the 33rd annual India Day Parade in New York
City. The parade which is the largest gathering of the In-
dian community outside India, had more than 150,000
footfalls.
India.com built a 70ft replica of the Red Fort, aka La
Qila. The Red Fort is the 255-acre complex in New Del-
hi built in the 17th century by Mogul emperor Shah Ja-
han, who also built the Taj Mahal. Every August 15th on
Independence Day, the Red Fort is the chosen location
where the Prime Minister of India hoists the countrys
flag and delivers a national speech from its ramparts to a
loud and proud crowd.
Inside the fort, a royal red carpet welcomed the enthu-
siastic crowd and invited them to sign up for a new @in-
dia.com email ID. There were more than 40 Macintosh
computers laid out on a glass table. The inside walls of
the fort were decorated with images that defined
India.com. After registration, people went home with fun
India.com freebies.
India.com is a new online platform for everything In-
dian in an instant from breaking news, business, and
Bollywood to sports, travel and free classifieds. The web-
site combines these one-of-a-kind features with an e-mail
portal that will keep you connected. India.com launched
in India back in 2011 and has since gained 28 million
unique users making it one of the fastest growing portals.
Sameer Targe, General Manager of Zee Americas said,
The timing of our launch in North America could not
have been any better. India Day Parade, which celebrates
Indias Independence Day, by any measure, is the
biggest, most vibrant South Asian event that happens on
the east coast. We had a tremendous response for the site.
India.com is customized for the South Asian diaspora and
the Indophile segment. It was about time someone
catered to the real needs of the Indian-American digital
consumer.
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Moneydart unveils expansion plan, launches app for instant remittance
6 August 24-30, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoNATIONAL COMMUNITY
By Ashok Ojha/SATimes
Woodbridge, NJ: Moneydart
Global Services, an NJ based money
transfer company, has revealed an
ambitious plan to expand its servic-
es in the US market.At a press conference Tuesday, Y.
Sudhir Kumar Shetty, COO (Global
Operations), said Moneydart aims to
reach all 50 states of USA by next
year. The company is already
licensed to operate in 23 states.
Launching the new app, he said it
can be downloaded on any smart
phone and used for a va rie ty of
remittance related information and
services including prevalent
exchange rate. The companys
remittance portal money2any-
where.com enables money transfer
to a bank account and offers facili-
ties such as cash pick up in any
country in a fast, easy and secure
manner.
Shetty said that his company was
hoping to get banking license within
a year in India. We want to take the
mobile banking concept to ruralIndia and hope to open branches at
places whe re no banking faci lit y
was currently available.
With its brand FLASHremit,
Moneydart implemented a unique
instant bank transfer to India,
Pakistan, Philippines, Bangladesh,
Indonesia and Sri Lanka to help cus-
tomers transfer money within min-
utes while the beneficiary gets a
confirmation through text alert.
Taking advantage of its SWIFT
membership it plans to launch a new
product called Business 2 Business
in North America. This service
focuses on remittance needs of cor-
porate entities providing wire trans-
fer in all major currencies.
Promoth Manghat, Vice-President,
Global Operations, said that his
company was also working on
expanding its operations in LatinAmerica and Caribbean countries in
near future.
Ajit Paul, Regional Head-
Americas talked about the growth of
the companys operations and said
that it was committed to community
activities and supporting NGOs
including UNICEF and UN Food
Program.
Moneydart is a wholly owned sub-
sidiary of Abu Dhabi based UAE
Exchange, which has a direct pres-
ence in over 30 countries with 700
branches. It handled about $22 .5
Billion in remittances in 2012.
New York: Yuva Hindi Sansthan, a New Jersey
based educa tional organizat ion concluded a two-week summer Hindi program in Hatfield, PA on
August 16.
The program designed under the strict guidelines of
STARTALK, a United States funded Foreign
Language initiative, targeted 60 elementary and
Middle School students, most of whom, born and
raised in USA, belonged to Indian American families.
Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul-General
of India in New York, who attended the camp as the
chief guest on August 16, the concluding day of the
program, distributed completion certificates to stu-
dents. She extended her support to such efforts for
promoting Hindi.
Dr. Khobragade said that the Government of India
was making all efforts to introduce Hindi as a work-
ing language of the United Nations. She assured that
her office was willing to help Hindi programs.
Upendra Chivukula, New Jersey Assemblyman was
also present on the occasion.
A typical day at the camp started with a 30 minute
Yoga session followed by classroom instructions for
three hours before breaking for lunch. The students
were immersed in a variety of activities in art, cultureand technology classes during the post-lunch period
of the day which continued until 4.30 pm. We
screened interesting Hindi movies during the lunch
hour while students enjoyed authentic Indian meal.
Each and every minute of the camp was designed for
learning Hindi and experiencing the product and
pract ices of Indian culture, says Rashmi Bansal ,
lead instructor.
The program was hosted by North Penn School
District which provided classrooms, gym, cafeteria,
computer labs and auditorium for facilitating the two
week long activities during the program, said Ashok
Ojha, program director, YHS STARTALK Hindi
2013 program.
Sriram Hathwar is 2013 MetLifeSouth Asian Spelling Bee champ
New York: Sriram Hathwar cor-
rectly spelled the word phorminx
during the 2013 MetLife South
Asian Spelling Bee Finals to clinch
the title of National Champion.
During the event on August 16,which was taped live for broadcast
on Sony Entertainment Television,
Sriram along with 23 other final-
ists competed for the title. Siblings
from Pearland TX Shobha &
Shourav Dasari were National
Runners-Up.
Twenty-four top spellers from 12
regional centers gathered at the
Rutgers College auditorium to bat-
tle it out for the title of champion
and a $10,000 Grand Prize from
MetLife.
The event was organized by
leading South Asian advertising
firm, Touchdown Media Inc. and
sponsored by MetLife, a leading
provider of insurance, employee
benefits and other financial servic-
es. Sony Entertainment Television
is the exclusive rights holder and
will be broadcasting the event
across the globe in over 119 coun-
tries.
Airline major Air-India and edu-
cation company C2Education have
also come on board this year as
sponsors for this event.Rahul Walia, CEO, Touchdown
Media Inc. and Founder of the
South Asian Spelling Bee says,
This is a great platform that helps
children showcase their talent,
hone their skill and inculcate a
sense of discipline and discipline
that will help in their overall
development. I urge parents to take
advantage of this unique contest
next year.
The special guest at the Finals
was Syamantak Payra, 2012 South
Asian Spelling Bee National
Champion, who helped co-host a
portion of the event.
The champion received a
$10,000 grand prize from MetLife
along with the South Asian
Spelling Bee trophy. The runners-
up received tickets to India from
Air India.
Do you feel strongly about something?Do you want to overcome the writers block?Dear Reader,
Citizen journalism is an essential component
of a healthy democracy. Here is an opportunity
to make yourself heard. The South Asian Times
(TSAT) is your voice. If you feel strongly about
something, do share your views with us and
other readers. If you belong to a community
group, association or society, send us informa-
tion about its activities. Your contributions will
be published with your name and photograph in
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Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
and LinkedIn. We have surprise gifts for readers
who actively engage with TSAT on both print
and social media channels. Send your contribu-
tions to [email protected] and
dont forget to say Hi to us on Facebook, Twitter
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Managing Editor
The South Asian Times
Email press-releases, information on
community events, news announcements to our
Associate Editor Hiral Dholakia-Dave on
Hot Topics you can comment on:
1. Now that the Supreme Court has okayed Gay mar-
riages, do you think Indian American parents too will
be more accepting?
2. What do you think - cyber whistle-blower Edward
Snowden is a hero or a traitor?
3. What is your take on the Immigration Bill? How is it
going to affect you personally? Are you for or against it?
The South Asian Timese x c e l l e n c e i n j o u r n a l i s m
Y. Sudhir Kumar Shetty, Chief Operation Officer, MoneydartGlobal Services (center) sharing a happy moment with the
media persons at a press conference on August 19 atcompany's corporate office in Woodbridge, NJ. Ajit Paul,Regional Head, Americas (left) and Promoth Manghat,
VP, Global Operations. (Photo by Ashok Ojha)
From L to R) Elaine Liu, Director Asian Markets for MetLife withbrand icon Snoopy alongside 2013 MetLife South Asian Spelling
Bee National Champion Sriram Hathwar of Painted Post, NYand Rahul Walia, Founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee.
Photo Courtesy: Gunjesh Desai/MasalaJunction.com
Dr. Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul-General of India spoke as the Chief Guest atthe valedictory event of YHS STARTALK HindiProgram 2013 on August 16 at Hatfield, PA.
60 school kids benefitfrom Hindi summer
program in Pennsylvania
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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7August 24-30, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info NATIONAL COMMUNITY
California: The ancient Indian reli-
gion of Jainism, a close cousin of
Buddhism, has often been a hard
sell in the U.S. with a strict adher-
ence to nonviolence that forbids eat-
ing meat, encourages days of fasting
and places value on even the small-
est of insects. Now younger Jains
who resist the elaborate rituals of
their parents, which include meditat-
ing 48 minutes a day and presenting
statues of idols with flowers, rice
and a saffron-and-sandalwood paste,
are trying to reinterpret the tradi-
tions of their religion for 21st-centu-
ry American life reported theAssociated Press.
They are expanding the definition
of nonviolence to encompass envi-
ronmentalism, animal rights and
corporate business ethics, flocking
to veganism, volunteering alongside
other faiths and learning to lobby
through political internships and
youth groups.
"Youth are a lot more interested in
learning the why of things instead of
just blindly following it," said Priyal
Gandhi, an 18-year-old from north-
ern Virginia. "I don't think we've
lost the faith. I think it's about find-
ing new ways to adapt to it."
Jains believe, for example, thateven microbes in the air and water
are sacred life and any action that
impacts other living things such
as driving or using electricity can
add to bad karma.
Yet Jains, many of them top doc-
tors, lawyers and businesspeople,
use computers and cellphones and
drive cars and so they are
increasingly seeking a compromise
between their faith and practicality,
said Whitny Braun, a bioethics and
religion professor at Loma Linda
University who has studied Jainism.
Veganism a step beyond the
vegetarianism that the faith requires
is also on the rise among young
U.S.-born Jains who find it other-
wise difficult to follow traditional
rituals.
Changes in how younger worship-
pers act out the faith may have a big
impact on Jainism's fate here.
The faith's Western evolution is
being talked about openly and withgreater urgency now that the tiny
ex-pat community that arrived in the
1960s has established itself with a
national umbrella organization,
youth groups and more than 100
temples, including an enormous one
south of Los Angeles.
This weekend, the new Center for
Jain Studies at Claremont Lincoln
University in Claremont hosts a
two-day conference on women and
gender issues that will include a
pres en ta ti on on se xi sm in Ja in
teachings. Another session on how
to apply Jain principles in corporate
ethics is planned for next year.
New voi ces can hel p the fai thbecome more relevan t in today's
America, said Sulekh C. Jain, of
Houston, who for nearly five
decades has been a leading force
among U.S. Jains. "The Dalai Lama
said tradition over time, if it does
not change, needs to be scrapped,"
Jain said. "It's really a part of
growing up."
US-born Jains make ascetic
faith fit modern life Washington, DC: Louisiana'sIndian American governor
Bobby Jindal, seen as a poten-
tial Republican presidential
candidate in 2016, has an
approval rating at 50 percent in
his home state, according to an
internal party poll.
Jindal, who was re-elected
governor in 2011 for a second
four year term, is term-limited
that is he cannot contest for the
State's top job again.
The Republican survey, con-
ducted last week also found
President Barack Obama'sapproval rating as 37 percent
in the state, according to the
Politico, an influential
Washington news site focused
on politics.
The poll found that 55 per-
cent Louisianans support
Jindal's controversial decision
not to expand Medicaid, a US
government health program
for families and individuals
with low income and
resources, with 37 percent
opposed.
Four-fifths of Republicans
also favor his Medicaid posi-
tion.
The poll also found that 62
percent of Louisianans oppose
Obama's signature healthcare
law, nicknamed Obamacare,
that aims to increase the quali-
ty and affordability of health
insurance in US, 53 percent
strongly so. Only 33 percent
favor the law.OnMessage Inc., Jindal's
main consulting firm, surveyed
800 voters from Aug 12 to 15
for the National Republican
Senatorial Committee, Politico
reported.
The results were weighted to
reflect historic turnout trends.
The margin of error is plus or
minus 3.5 percentage points.
Bobby Jindal gets 50 percent
approval in Republican poll
Boston, MA: Organizers of a
Boston celebration of India's inde-
pe nd en ce ha ve ca nc el ed th isyear's event because securitymeasures put in place after the
Boston Marathon bombings have
made it prohibitively expensive.
The annual event that has drawn
as many as 20,000 people was
scheduled for Aug. 18 on the
Esplanade. In a letter posted on
the India Association of Greater
Boston's website, organizers say
it's been canceled until a new
location can be found. The letter
says the association would lose
$20,000, inappropriate for a non-profit organization.
New security measures include
bag checks at entrances and more
police, meaning tens of thousands
of dollars in overtime.
A state police spokesman told
The Boston Globe he sympa-
thized with organizers but pointed
out that the Esplanade was a pos-
sible target of the marathon
bombing suspects.
Prof Vijay Singh named for
top US environmental award
Washington, DC: An Indian American
professor of biologica l and agriculturalengineering has been recognized for life-
time achievement by a top US environ-
mental and water resources institute.
Vijay Singh, professor and Caroline &
William N. Lehrer Distinguished Chair in
the Department of Biological and
Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M
University, has been named as a recipient
of the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award
by th e Am er ic an Soci et y of Ci vi l
Engineers Environmental and Water
Resources Institute (ASCE-EWRI). Set
up in 1999, the Environmental and Water
Resources Institute is a civil engineering
specialty institute of the American Society
of Civil Engineers, the country's oldest
national engineering society.
He was born in Agra, India, July 15,1946.
He acquired his master of science
degree from the University of Guelph in
Ontario, Canada and then did his Ph.D
from the Colorado State University.
He also received a D.Sc. from the
University of Witwatersrand in South
Africa.
Boston's India Day canceledfor security reasons
Washington, DC: An Indian
American Silicon Valley entrepre-
neur has launched a unique initiativedesigned to get techies to volunteer
their time to develop software and
applications that will benefit people
in India and other developing coun-
tries.
The initiative dubbed "Code for
India" was launched by Silicon
Valley technology entrepreneur and
venture capitalist Karl Mehta.
"As a firm believer in the power
of crowd sourced and open sourced
technology, we have created Code
For India to provide tools to fight
day-to-day public service issues,"Mehta told reporters.
"Code For India's use of technolo-
gy will promote transparency, par-
ticipation and efficiency in the way
local people can voice their concern
and find solutions," he said.
"The transformative power of
technology will aid India -- and
other developing countries facing
similar problems," said Mehta at the
launch of Code For India, a non-
pr of it organi za ti on ba sed in
Mountain View, California.
Though starting small, Mehta has
huge ambitions. His audacious goal
is to get a million programmers
across the globe to donate
their time.
Silicon Valley entrepreneurlaunches an app to help India
Karl Mehta
Prof Vijay Singh
Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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8 August 24-30, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoUS AFFAIRS
Chris Christie signs bill banning gay
conversion therapy for minorsNew York: At a press conference announcing the
seizure of 254 illegal guns, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
referenced a wiretap conversation from the investigation
showing that one of the gun traffickers' biggest concerns
was the city's controversial "stop-and-frisk" policy.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly read aloud the con-
versation, in which a gun trafficker from South Carolina
discussed his plans to bring guns through North
Carolina to New York City, taking the Chinatown bus.
"Yeah, I'm in Charlotte now, I can't take them to my
house, to my side of town in Brownsville (Brooklyn)
"We've got like, watch-a-ma-call-it, Stop and Frisk."
The gun trafficker and 18 others have been indicted
for transporting the firearms from the south, where
Kelly said there are weaker gun laws, and then selling
them in New York City to an undercover officer. The
guns seized are valued at over $160,000.
"More than 200 guns is an astonishing number of
firearms to be recovered by one undercover officer in a
little under one year," said Kelly.
As Bloomberg and Kelly addressed the media, most
of the weapons seized lay on a table in front of them,
illustrating a small victory in the fight against illegal
guns. The mayor is also hoping for a victory in his
appeal of a ruling by a federal judge just one week ago,that the NYPD's controversial so-called "stop-and-frisk"
policy is unconstitutional.
Bloomberg has said the tactic, which allows cops to
search anyone regardless of whether they believe a
crime has been committed, is "an important part of [the
NYPD's] record of success."
In her ruling, Judge Shira Sheindlin said the policy
unfairly targeted blacks and Hispanics. Sheindlin ruled
that the policy could continue, but only under strongnew restrictions.
New York City seizes record number of illegal guns
By Arun Kumar
Washington: America is not the
"land of milk and honey" it is often
thought to be. Crouching behind pil-
lars to shield from the cold or
squeezed at the entrance of shut-
tered shop fronts with their belong-
ings tucked in a bundle and a recep-tacle kept for alms, over 600,000
people across US cities are home-
less and subsist on the streets or in
abandoned areas with some states
pushing them into camps and others
offering them a one-way ticket back
"home".
According to the National
Alliance to End Homelessness, there
were 633,782 people, or 20 in every
10,000 people, experiencing home-
lessness on any given night in
January 2012, largely unchanged
from the year before. About a quar-
ter of them were children, one-
eighth military veterans and some
four in 10 disabled unable to work,in the richest nation on the planet,
according to its latest report on "The
State of Homelessness in America
2013".
A majority of people identified as
homeless were staying in emergency
shelters or transitional housing, but
38 percent were unsheltered, living
on the streets, or in cars, abandoned
bu il di ng s, or ot he r pl ac es no t
intended for human habitation, it
said.
Many sit with outstretched arms
outside subway stations or strum
away on guitars drawing attention to
their plight as sympathetic onlook-
ers drop money into an open guitar
cover.More than 48 million people were
living in poverty - with a household
income of less than $23,550 for a
family of four - in 2011, almost 5
percent more than in the previous
year, with median household
income decreasing nationally by 1.3
percent from $51,144 to $50,502.
With job losses after the worst
recession in decades increasing the
national poverty rate from 15.3 per-
cent to 15.9 percent in 2011, the
Obama administration has this year
announced grants totalling $1.557
billion for over 7,750 local home-
less housing and service programs.
These are part of Obama'sStrategic Plan to Prevent and End
Homelessness announced in 2010 to
put the country on a path to end
chronic homelessness by 2015 and
to end homelessness among chil-
dren, family, and youth by 2020.
Meanwhile, in New Jersey, home
to a large number of Indian
Americans, tent cities have popped
up across the state, including Essex
County, which has the largest popu-
lation of homeless people in the
state and its poorest city, Camden,
according to My9NJ.com.
The Camden tent city that has
sprung up "under an overpass,
through woods and down with a
path of trash" says the local channelis "inhabited by an array of people:
addicts, people who have fallen on
hard times and some with mental ill-
ness".
Legislators in Hawaii, the state of
Obama's birth, last month voted to
allocate $100,000 to offer one-way
plane tickets to an estimated 17,000
h o m e -
less people under a voluntary pilot
"return to home" program, accord-
ing to the Honolulu Civil Beat. Run
by the state's Department of Human
Services, it will set aside seats on
airplanes - and possibly cruise ships
for participants who must complete
a background check, be mentally
sound, and have what the bill calls"sufficient personal hygiene".
New York City, Baton Rouge and
San Francisco have all tried similar
programs, according to Time maga-
zine. New York City implemented
its version in 2007, flying more than
550 homeless people back to their
families in places like Paris,
Orlando, and San Juan (the most
popular destination), it said citing a
2009 article in the New York Times.
In June, city council of Baton
Rouge, the capital city of Indian-
American governor Bobby Jindal's
home state of Louisiana, approved a
plan to provide free bus rides to eli-
gible homeless people, Time said
citing Think Progress.Its original name was "Clean
Sweep", but to avoid comparing
people living on the street to bags of
garbage, the program has been
renamed "HOPE" for "Homeless
Outreach Prevention Efforts", it said
citing local newspaper the
Advocate.
Tent cities like this one have popped up across NewJersey for the state's homeless
Homeless in the 'land of milk and honey'
A homeless man on Broadway, New York City
Mayor Bloomberg and NYC Police CommissionerRay Kelly also reiterated their support for stopand frisk at the press conference announcing
the seizure.
Trenton, NJ: Ne w Je rs ey
Republican Gov. Chris Christie on
Monday signed a bill that bans
therapists from providing a serviceto minors that aims to change their
sexual orientation.
The bill, which passed in the New
Jersey Senate and Assembly in
June, would restrict licensed ther-
apists from offering what is com-
monly referred to as conversion
therapy.
Christie is only the second gov-
ernor to sign a law banning the
pract ice for youth s. Cal ifo rnia
Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown
signed a similar law last year,
which is currently under review in
the federal courts.
In signing the bill into law,
Christie issued a statement in
which he cited the American
Psychological Associations report
that recommended against the
practice.
At the outset of this debate, Iexpressed my concerns about gov-
ernment limiting parental choice
on the care and treatment of their
own children. I still have those
concerns, Christie said in a sign-
ing statement. The decision by
Christie, who is considered a pos-
sible contender to run for the
Republican presidential nomina-
tion in 2016, could become a point
of debate during the party primary,
as it was in the last election. In the
run-up to the 2012 Republican pri-
mary season, presidential candi-
date Michele Bachmann came
under fire when it was reported
that a clinic she owned offered the
conversion therapy.
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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US AFFAIRS
Manning of WikiLeaks case gets 35 yearsin jail, to ask for White House pardon
Washington: A
US military judge
Wednesday sen-
tenced BradleyManning, an army
pr iv at e, to 35
years in prison for
leaking classified
information of the
government to
whistleblower site
WikiLeaks.
The judge, Army
Col. Denise Lind,
handed down the
sentence at Fort
Meade, outside
Washington. She also ordered that
Manning, the army intelligence analyst, be
reduced in rank to private and be dishonor-
ably discharged from the army, Xinhuareported. Manning, now 25, could face a
maximum of 90 years in prison. He was
convicted of several charges last month,
including espionage and theft. But the
judge found him not guilty of the most seri-
ous charge, aiding the enemy, which possi-
bly carried a life term in prison.
Manning was accused of delivering to
WikiLeaks three-quarters of a million
pages of classified documents and videos,
which covered numerous aspects of US
military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
and US diplomatic missions across the
world.
WikiLeaks, though, has never confirmed
Manning as the source of its information.Manning was arrested months later after
one of the leaked videos appeared on
WikiLeaks in April 2010. It was a gunfire
video of a US attack helicopter firing at a
group of people in Baghdad in 2007.
WikiLeaks, an international organization
that publishes secret information and news
leaks from anonymous sources, continues
to publish documents related to the 2010
Afghanistan war, the Iraq war Logs and
diplomatic cables by US State Department
officials.Washington: Al-Jazeera America went live
Tuesday, accompanied by a campaign of tra-
ditional and social media for its cable chan-
nel launch, as it pledged to outdo its rivals
with serious, in-depth journalism. "We're on
the air! #AlJazeeraAmerica has just
launched, and we're live. Are you ready totake a new look at news?" the channel
announced on Twitter at 1900 GMT.
Opening the lineup was a preview of the
daily schedule, which includes news, maga-
zine and interview programs.
One of the first in-depth reports set to air
was an investigation for its "Fault Lines"
program on Bangladesh.
"Fault Lines goes undercover in
Bangladesh in a multi-month investigation to
expose how US corporations may be putting
their profits before the well-being and safety
of the workers making their products," the
channel promised.
The Qatar-based media group took out
full-page ads in The New York Times, Wall
Street Journal and USA Today, and kept up a
barrage over social media including Twitter,
Facebook and Tumblr.
"Change the way you look at news," the ad
in The Wall Street Journal states. "Get more
depth, More perspective. Every day."
On Facebook, Al-Jazeera America calleditself "the new American TV news channel
that connects you to the human stories at the
heart of the news."
The channel reaches more than 40 million
households and vastly expands the footprint
of Al-Jazeera despite questions about how it
will be received by American viewers.
Jeff Jarvis, a City University of New York
journal ism professor, said on Google+ he
was skeptical: "They hired people straight
out of traditional TV news; they tried hard
not to hire foreigners. But what I was hoping
for was a new form with new perspectives."
Yet Al Jazeera is likely to face a tough sell
to US audiences because of its history in the
Middle East, where it was the outlet for
videos distributed by Al-Qaeda and Osamabin Laden. Some conservatives claim it is
still anti-Western.
Ehab Al Shihabi, interim chief executive
of Al-Jazeera America, said US viewers will
come around once they see the programs.
He said surveys indicate that "75 percent
of people who did not watch Al-Jazeera
came on the negative size and 90 percent of
those who watch Al-Jazeera came on the
positive side."
Shihabi said 850 staff have been hired for
12 US bureaus, and will draw on 70 bureaus
worldwide to give Al-Jazeera unmatched
scale.
Since acquiring Current TV, a struggling
US cable channel, Al-Jazeera has brought in
well-known names in the industry, such as
former CNN and CBS journalist Joie Chen,
former NBC news anchor John Seigenthaler
and David Shuster, a veteran of Fox News
and MSNBC.
Al Jazeera America goes live, woos viewers
Bradley Manning outside a courthouse inFort Meade, Md., Aug. 20.
NSA collected piles of emailsby ordinary Americans
Washington: The nation's top intelligence
official declassified three secret U.S. court
opinions and other classified documents on
Wednesday that reveal how the National
Security Agency intercepted thousands of
emails from Americans with no connection
to terrorism.
The documents also shed some light on
how the agency revealed the error to the
court and how it went about gathering
Internet communications as part of its effort
to gather intelligence.
Director of National Intelligence James
Clapper authorized the release Wednesday
and the agency published the documents on
a newly-created tumblr dubbed IC on the
Record.
"He's determined that in the current cir-
cumstances the harm to national security
from release of this information is out
weighed by the public interest," said a sen-
ior U.S. intelligence official who briefed
reporters ahead of the release.
The official said the documents reveal
"effective self-policing" at the National
Security Agency.
9August 24-30, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
San Francisco: Wells Fargo is cutting
2,300 jobs from in the mortgage production
unit, the company said on Wednesday.
San Francisco-based Wells Fargo was the
largest employer among U.S. banks at
midyear with about 274,000 people.
The company expects the pace of mort-
gage lending to slow for the remainder of
the year as higher interest rates cut into the
demand for refinancing.
Applications for U.S. home loans fell for
a second straight week as higher interest
rates reduced refinancing activity, an indus-
try group reported Wednesday.
The Mortgage Bankers Association said
its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage
application activity, which includes both
refinancing and home purchase demand,
fell 4.6 percent in the week ended Aug. 16.
The decline came as 30-year mortgage
rates rose 12 basis points to 4.68 percent,
matching the year's high first hit in July.
Wells Fargo eliminates 2,300 mortgage jobs
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10 August 24-30, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINDIA
No poor in India willremain hungry: Sonia
New Delhi: The legal right to food
security is "unparalleled" and will
ensure that no poor in India remains
hungry, UPA chairperson Sonia
Gandhi said while launching the
ambitious food security program in
Delhi.
Delhi is among the first states to
launch the program that is expected
to provide cheap staple food to two-
thirds of the nation's population.
The launch of the program - seen
as both a major welfare as well as
popul ist move designed to swing
votes for a beleaguered Congress in
the upcoming elections - coincided
with the 69th birth anniversary oflate prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi said the right to
food security had been conceived so
that no poor remains hungry.
"We decided to formulate the
Food Security Bill so that the poor
do not remain hungry, their children
do not sleep hungry and they do not
suffer malnutrition," Sonia Gandhi
said at Talkatora Stadium here.
"The guarantee of food provided
by the food security scheme on such
a large scale is unparalleled in the
world," she declared, adding that
states had benefited from welfare
schemes of the United Progressive
Alliance (UPA) government.
The Food Security Bill is yet to
be passed by parliament. The Delhi
government unveiled the food secu-
rity program on the basis of an ordi-
nance promulgated in June.
The Congress chief handed over
food security ration cards to benefi-
ciaries along with a 5 kg rice packet
each. Sonia Gandhi said that theFood Security Bill will provide ben-
efits to 75 percent of the rural popu-
lation and 50 percent of the urban
population, totaling about 80 crore.
She said the food security pro-
gram will empower women.
"Our duty is to serve the people
and this should continue to be our
motto," Sonia Gandhi said.
New Delhi: Indicating disap-proval of the resolution by BJP's
Bihar unit seeking Gujarat Chief
Minister Narendra Modi be
declared the party's prime minis-
terial candidate, party chief
Rajnath Singh told state units not
to pass such motions, party
sources said.
They said that Bharatiya Janata
Party president touched the issue
during his address at the party's
election campaign committee
meeting here Sunday and said
there was no need for such resolu-
tions. Modi was present at the
meeting.
The sources said that Rajnath
Singh told the gathering, which
included state unit chiefs, that the
leadership was seized of the ques-
tion of prime ministerial candi-
date and "a call will be taken in
the interest of the party".
"The party president conveyed
that states should not force the
issue and not pass such resolu-
tions," a party leader said.
BJP's Bihar unit had adopted a
resolution urging the BJP central
parliamentary board to make the
announcement on Modi as prime
ministerial candidate. Modi is the
chief of campaign committee for
BJP for the 2014 elections.
Party sources said that the lead-
ership has apprehensions that
such resolutions can create prob-
lems as it would amount to forc-
ing a decision on an issue which
is in domain of central leadership.
They said that there was even a
remote possibility of state units
differing in their recommenda-
tions of prime ministerial candi-
date which would present a pic-
ture of disunity in the party.
The BJP has said that a decision
on prime ministerial candidate
will be taken by the parliamentary
board at an appropriate time.
When rioters savaged once-peaceful KishtwarJammu: Separatist slogans were
all it took to stoke communal pas-sions, triggering riots that ravaged
Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar
town, left three dead and led to the
resignation of the state's junior
home minister who hails from the
town.
Communities that have lived in
perfect harmony for ages attacked
one another with shotguns loaded
with hatred and junior Home
Minister Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo
made the startling claim that mobs
tried to set him ablaze.
The trouble started in the other-
wise peaceful town of Kishtwar,
over 200 km from here, when a
procession of locals from adjacent
villages entered the town Aug 9 to
join others at the Eidgah grounds to
offer Eid prayers.
Reports said the procession was
shouting pro-azadi (independence)
slogans when some Hindus resent-
ed this and started pelting stones at
the procession and provoking them.After the news about this reached
those already present at the Eidgah
grounds they rushed to the spot and
joined the riots. Three people were
killed and properties worth millions
including over 100 shops were gut-
ted. The district administration hadto seek the armys help to bring the
situation under control. Eye-wit-
nesses said it was a free for all situ-
ation in the town for six hours dur-
ing which the mobs looted a gun-
shop and used the looted weaponsto target each other.
The state government announced
a judicial probe headed by a retired
hgh court judge to ascertain the
facts about what went wrong in
Kishtwar and who stoked commu-
nal passions there.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),
led by none less than its star cam-
paigner and the likely prime minis-
terial candidate Narendra Modi,
told a massive gathering in far
away Hyderabad: "Kishtwar is
burning. A narsamhar (bloodbath)
has taken place in Kishtwar. We
don't know how many have been
killed there."
It cannot be accepted that Modi
did not know that one Hindu and
two Muslim had died in the
Kishtwar clashes. Violence and
madness had taken an equal toll of
both the communities in the town,
where Muslims form 55 percentand Hindus 45 percent of the popu-
lation.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,
visibly disturbed by the BJP cam-
pa ig n to focu s at te nt io n on th e
Kishtwar riots, said during his
Independence Day speech in sum-
mer capital Srinagar that the people
of Jammu and Kashmir were being
treated differently as if they were
not part of India.
Abdullah cited figures of commu-
nal clashes in Maharashtra, Gujarat,
Rajasthan, Karnataka and some
other states during 2012 and up to
March 2013 to ask: How many big
leaders have visited those places to
express solidarity with the affected
people? How many of them used
tweets or how many columns of
newspapers were written on those
clashes?
Kishtwar town in J&K faced communal violence last week
Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit during thelaunch of Food Security Program in New Delhi
BJP chief Rajnath Singh
Don't pass Modi-for-PM
resolutions: Rajnath
Missing coalblock files with CBI: Coal MinistryNew Delhi: In a Right to
Information (RTI) Act reply earlythis year, the coal ministry had said
that the files relating to all coal
block allocations from 1994-2012
were with the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI).
The ministry's reply to the RTI
query filed by NGO Greenpeace in
February is important as the gov-
ernment has been saying that some
of the files before 2004 went miss-ing.
According to Greenpeace, it had
filed two RTIs on the issue and was
told that the files were with the
CBI, which is investigating the
irregularities in the allocation of
coal blocks.
"We got a response from P.S.S.
Reddy, director appellate authority,
coal ministry, saying that all theapplications of the companies who
have been allocated coal blocks
along with annexures in original
are in the custody of the CBI," said
a statement issued by Greenpeace.
"Is the coal ministry lying about
missing the coalgate files,"
Greenpeace questioned.
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
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New Delhi: Reliance Group
chairman Anil Ambani Thursdaydeposed before a special court
here as a prosecution witness in
the 2G spectrum allocation case
and said he was not aware of any
company named Swan Telecom.
"I'm not aware of any company
called Swan Telecom," Ambani
replied in the special court of CBI,
presided over by Judge O.P. Saini,
when asked by the prosecution if
he knew this firm that was given
telecom spectrum and license in
2008.
The main allegations of the
probe agency, prompting it to call
Ambani as a witness, is that Swan
Telecom was a shell company of
the Anil Ambani Group, ineligiblefor telecom spectrum and license -
a matter that has been strongly
denied by the defense.
The court concluded recording
the statement of Anil Ambani over
two sessions and then called his
wife Tina Ambani Friday at 2 p.m.
In fact, Anil Ambani also told the
judge that his wife will depose
Friday in the court.
The markets reacted positively
to the day's development, with the
shares of Reliance
Communications ending 5.67 per-
cent higher at Rs.121.15. Among
the other group companies,
Reliance Power ended 3.68 per-
cent higher, while Reliance
Capital gained 6.02 percent.
While giving his statement,
Ambani refuted the claim of the
probe agency that Swan Telecom
was a shell company of his group."It is wrong to suggest that
Swan Telecom was a shell compa-
ny of my group. It was wrong to
suggest that it was in my knowl-
edge that Swan had applied for
UAS (telecom) license for Jammu
and Kashmir service area in
2007," Ambani said.
"I cannot recall if Reliance
Telecom had made an investment
to the extent of 9.9 percent in the
equity shares in Swan Telecom,"
he said, while denying another
claim by the CBI during his visit
to its headquarters here.
"I visited the CBI office in con-
nection with this case. However,
at that time, I did not hand overany note to the CBI officer,"
Ambani said in his statement.
When queried by the judge,
Ambani also said he was making
his statement voluntarily and as
per his own free will.
The court had Wednesday said
summoning Anil Ambani and and
his wife as prosecution witnesses
"will not cause any prejudice to
the accused facing trial in the
case".
Anil Ambani denies knowledge aboutSwan Telecom in 2G case
Anil Ambani refuted the CBIclaim that Swan Telecom wasa shell company of his group.
11August 24-30, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info INDIA
No need to panic, rupee will
stabilize: ChidambaramNew Delhi: Finance Minister P.
Chidambaram Thursday called for
calm in the currency markets, say-
ing stability will soon return, even
as the rupee slipped below the
psychological level of 65 against
the dollar.
"There is no cause of panic...we
are confident that the stability will
return to the markets,
Chidambaram said at a media
conference here.
The finance minister said
volatility in the currency market
w a s
u n a c -
ceptable
and the
govern-
m e n t
was tak-
ing meas-
ures to improve the situation.
"We are not targeting any partic-
ular level for the currency. We
want a stable currency...rupee
today is undervalued and has
overshot, he said.
Islamabad: Pakistan has decid-
ed to release 365 Indian prison-
ers as a goodwill gesture, the
interior ministry announcedThursday.
The prisoners include 340 fish-
ermen and 25 crew members of
their boats, Xinhua reported
quoting the ministry.
All the Indian prisoners have
completed their jail terms and
will be sent back to India
through the Wagah border cross-
ing Saturday.
Eight juveniles are also among
the prisoners to be freed from the
Youthful Offenders Industrial
School in Karachi, officials said.
The announcement to release
the Indian prisoners came at a
time when tension has increasedbetween the two nuclear-pow-
ered neighbors over cross-border
shelling.
Pakistan and India routinely
arrest fishermen as there are no
maritime boundaries between the
two nations.
Both the countries have held
series of talks but have not yet
reached any agreement.
Pakistani authorities have
already informed Indian officials
about the decision.
Finance Minister
P. Chidambaram
Pakistan to release 365 Indian prisoners
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
12/30
12 August 24-30, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoINDIA
India needs alternative policies,not leaders: CPI-M
New Delhi: India does not need alterna-
tive political leaders but "alternative pro-people policies" to overcome its economic
woes, CPI-M said Thursday.
Without naming Narendra Modi, CPI-
M's paper "People's Democracy" said in
an editorial titled "Back to Square One"
that India Inc had thrown its weight
be hind th e Gu ja ra t ch ie f mi ni st er 's
attempt to become the prime minister.
Corporate India, it said, wanted a
"strong leader" who could be decisive to
take actions that can facilitate their inter-
ests even at the expense of forsaking
democracy, human rights and civil liber-
ties.
"Given the BJP's commitment to inter-
national finance capital-led globalization
and its neo-liberal economic reforms, sec-tions of corporate India seem to be hoping
that their fortunes will improve under the
BJP's current poster boy."
The editorial said it had warned two
years ago that the slowing down of the
Indian economy could well lead up to a
situation similar to that India found itself
in 1991.
"Today, two years later, indeed, the
Indian economy appears to have come
back to square one."
The CPI-M demanded to know if the
government was preparing the ground for
seeking a bailout package again from theIMF, with the accompanying conditions.
It pointed out that there was a contrac-
tion of domestic demand in the economy.
"This is not surprising given the relent-
less rate of inflation and the substantial
cuts in subsidies meant for the poor in the
name of fiscal consolidation."
Domestically, it said, the purchasing
power in the hands of the peop le was
drastically declining, shrinking the
domestic demand as a consequence.
"By merely making available funds or
opening up further avenues for foreign
investment without increasing domestic
demand will only channel these funds into
speculative activities rather than produc-
tive investments."This is evident from the recent experi-
ence of astronomically high prices of real
estate and gold in our country.
"The rich are parking their money in
such avenues that are called valuables.
Additionally, they expend their monies in
obnoxious conspicuous consumption like
lavish wedding celebrations.
"Such a tendency of parking surpluses
in unproductive valuables is also respon-
sible for the surge in the demand for the
US dollar and foreign currencies.
Kolkata: Contending that India was passingthrough "an intolerable economic disaster",
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee Thursday wondered "where is the
leader of the country" to save the people
from economic onslaught and internal and
external security threats.
"The country is passing through a night-
marish situation. From petrol to onions, from
diesel to dollar, prices are skyrocketing. The
economic disaster through which the country
is passing is simply intolerable," Banerjee
said on her official Facebook page.
Observing that the "economic security of
the common people is at stake", Banerjee
said: "Is it a product of the so-called reforms
and activities being pushed by the
Government at the centre in view of theensuing Lok Sabha election?
"Is a type of political gimmickry going on
to satisfy some political parties at the
expense of the common people? The country
cannot be run like this," she said.
She also sought public opinion and called
for public mobilization on the issue."Public opinion and mobilisation is very
much needed at this hour. Let us all make a
collective effort to save our country," added
Banerjee.
Where's the leader of the country, wonders Mamata
By Prakash Bhandari
Jaipur: The students of
the Harvard Business
School from next month
will study how the
famous artificial limb
Jaipur Foot has made peo-
ple walk again. The case
study will be part of thepremier business schools
second year students
study. An Indian American
Professor Srikant Datar,
Arthur Lowes Dickinson
Professor of Accounting at
Harvard University, would
be teaching the model to
his students. He said it would help the
young B-brains learn to take the point of
view of the customer.
The artificial limbs cost Rs 2,300 to man-
ufacture but are given free to patients, irre-
spective of their background. The prosthet-
ic, created by a team headed by late ortho-
pedic surgeon Dr P.K. Sethi and a sculptor-
craftsman Ram Chander Sharma, has not
been patented because of their belief in the
motivation behind the creation that of
helping the poor, not only in India but in
26 countries like Afghanistan, Iraq,
Lebanon, Senegal, Pakistan, Uganda and
Bangladesh.
The Jaipur Foot is a
truly inspirational story
with important manage-
ment lessons about inno-
vation, customer-centrici-
ty, technology, leadership,
and management.
Insights into these fivefocus areas, he added,
should definitely help
business students under-
stand how such a low-cost
pr od uc t co ul d be su s-
tained. It was thrilling to
see the smiles on the faces
of the patients as they
came in, not able to walk, and left on both
their feet. It would help my students to
learn to always take the point of view of the
customer and also to believe that with lead-
ership and innovation, anything is possi-
ble.
The Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang
Sahayata Samiti, which manufactures the
Jaipur Foot, was set up in 1975 as a welfare
organization. Named the Jaipur Foot after
the city it was conceived in, the artificial
limb has made tens of thousands of
amputees in the developing world walk
again.
Harvard evinces interest in Jaipur Foot
Women driven auto-rickshaw service was launchedin Patna on August 18, a first for Bihar.
West Bengal Chief MinisterMamata Banerjee
Prof Srikant Datar will teachthe Jaipur Foot model.
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
13/30
OP-ED
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
Building a racial justice movementAmericans define racism as individual, overt and intentional. But
modern forms of racial discrimination are often unintentional,
systemic and hidden. On the eve of the 50th anniversary (on August28) of the famous March on Washington, the author argues why what
is building up is a racial justice movement, one that builds on the
legacy of civil rights while bringing crucial new elements to our
political and social lives. And that Latinos and Asians and blacks and
American Indians must all be working in that single movement.
13August 24-30, 2013TheSouthAsianTimes.info
By Rinku Sen
This week, the nation will celebrate the
50th anniversary of the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom with
events in Washington, D.C., and many other
cities. A hot summer of race newsMoral
Mondays to preserve voting rights in North
Carolina, the efforts of the Dream 9 to expose
the vagaries of our immigration policy, and
those of the Dream Defenders to undo
Floridas Stand Your Ground lawhave led
many to speculate on whether we are at the
start of a new civil rights movement.
We are definitely at the brink of something.
I hope that it is a racial justice movement, one
that builds on the legacy of civil rights while
bringing crucial new elements to our political
and social lives. We have a chance to explore
fundamental questions like the nature of
racism, what to do with the variety of racial
hierarchies across the country, and how to
craft a vision big enough to hold together
communities which are constantly pitted
against one another.Using the racial justice frame allows us to
fight off the seductive, corrupt appeal of col-
orblindness, which currently makes it difficult
to talk about even racial diversity, much less
the real prize of racial equity. Such language
also allows us to move beyond the current
limitations in civil rights law to imagine a host
of new policies and practices in public and
private spaces, while we also upgrade existing
civil rights laws at all levels of government.
Finally, the modern movement has to be fully
multiracial, as multiracial as the country itself.
The number and variety of communities of
color will continue to grow. If all of our com-
munities stake out ground on race, rather than
on a set of proxies, we will more likely be
able to stick together when any one of us isaccused of race baiting.
The Need for Plain SpeechWe cannot solve a problem that no one is
willing to name, and the biggest obstacle fac-
ing Americans today is that, in the main, we
dont want to talk about race, much less about
racism. Our societal silence makes room for
inventive new forms of discrimination, while
it blocks our efforts to change rules that disad-
vantage people of color. Unless we say what
we mean, we cannot redefine how racism
works or drive the debate toward equity.
Americans define racism as individual,
overt and intentional. But modern forms of
racial discrimination are often unintentional,
systemic and hidden. The tropes and images
of the civil rights era reinforce the old defini-
tion. People taking on new forms constantly
look for our own Bull Connor to make the
case. We can find these kinds of figures. But
theres inevitably debate about whether they
truly hit the Bull Connor standard, as we can
see in popular defenses of Sheriff Joe Arpaio
and Gov. Rick Scott. Politicians, employers
and public administrators have all learned to
use codes for the groups they target.
The notion that all racism is intentional and
overt is a fundamental building block of the
false solution of colorblindness.
The obsession with examining the intentions
of individual actors in order to legitimize the
existence of racism undermines efforts to
achieve justice. This is because the discussion
of racism in the U.S. is devoid of any mention
of history, power or policy. The person who
notices racial disparities in health care, for
example, is vilified for so-called race baiting,
while someone like Rep. Steve King is virtu-
ally unchallenged when he puts up a sign
referring to the State Childrens Health
Insurance Program as Socialized,
Clintonesque, Hillary Care for Illegals and
Their Children. Hey, he didnt say Latino
illegals, so thats not racist.Fifteen years of brain research have
revealed that ignoring racial difference is
impossible, and that most human beings are
unconscious of their biases. Thus getting peo-
ple to acknowledge and change their biases
voluntarily is often very difficult, and if it
does happen, is insufficient to address the
institutional problem.
Even people who dont dismiss the need for
race talk entirely often have the wrong end
goal in mind. They encourage respect for
diversity, or multiculturalism. Those are both
good things. But neither one is the same thing
as justice. It is entirely possible to have a
diverse community, city or workplace that is
marked by inequity. In restaurants Ive
worked in and observed, the white workers inthe dining room get along perfectly well with
blac k and Lati no workers conf ined to the
kitchen and dish room, but they are not in an
equitable situation. In being explicit about
working on racial justice, our modern move-
ment has a chance to push past the diversity
goal and define justice.
Justice and Rights Arent the SameJustice can include civil rights laws, but
civil rights laws dont always include justice.
The difference between the two is suggested
for me in that old school precursor to jokes,
There oughta be a law. There ought to be
lots of laws and we wont get them unless we
recognize the limits of the laws we have now
in relation to justice.
Here is NOLO Presss plain language defi-
nition of civil rights.
Rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, the
13th and 14th, 15th and 19th Amendments to
the Constitution. Civil rights include civil lib-
erties (such as the freedom of speech, press,
assembly, and religion), as well as due
process, the right to vote, equal and fair treat-
ment by law enforcement and the courts, and
the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a dem-
ocratic society, such as equal access to public
schools, recreation, transportation, public
facilities, and housing.
Civil refers largely to political rights, but
communities of color need change in econom-
ics and culture, too, the kind of change that
hasnt yet been encoded in the law. People of
color should be able to see ourselves on tele-
vision and in movies as something other than
villains far more often than we do now, but
there is no law that calls this a right. Food
jus tice woul d mean that peop le coul d get
access to fresh produce at reasonable prices
within a short distance from their homes, yet
no law punishes grocery store chains for aban-
doning poor neighborhoods of color. But laws
and other structures could be crafted to change
these arrangements that too many people cur-rently accept as just the way it is. In fact,
over time, the kinds of rules and regulations
that once supported cultural rights, such as the
fairness doctrine in communications law, have
been steadily gutted by the same deregulation
that created Fox News.
People should not be subjected to exploita-
tion on the job, but labor laws, including those
against discrimination that are in Title VII of
the Civil Rights Act, dont get us anywhere
near workplace justice. After New York Times
labor reporter Steven Greenhouse examined
the comment threads from his reporting on the
growing fast food workers strikes, he was
moved to tweet that hed never seen such lack
of sympathy for workers. Research by Topos
reveals that most Americans do not think ofcrappy jobs as exploitive jobs. They think
entry level jobs are meant to pay little, and
they put all the responsibility for improvement
on the workers themselves, in the form of fur-
ther education to get a better job. That senti-
ment was borne out again and again in
Greenhouses comment thread. The fact that
people of color, especially black people, are
heavily concentrated in the fast food industry
strikes me as the trigger for that kind of easy
victim blaming.
The language of justice simply gives us
more options for articulating what fairness
looks like than does the language of civil
rights. Only a big, broad vision will be excit-
ing enough to mobilize Americans for the hard
thinking and action required to meet our
upcoming challenges. The countrys changing
demographics are at the top of the challenge
list for me.
Going MultiracialWhen the March on Washington took place
in 1963, there was also organizing among
Latino, indigenous and Asian communities.
These communities were often inspired by
and related to the movement against Jim Crow
segregation in the South, and they had their
own forms of exploitation and discrimination
to confront. The exploitive Bracero Program,
which recruited Mexican guest workers for
farm work, had to be ended, and so did its bru-
tal aftermath, Operation Wetback, which
deported those same workers when they dared
to overstay. The effects of Japanese American
internment had to be addressed, and American
Indians were trying to protect families from
having their kids stolen right through the
1970s.
Connections surely existed between these
groups during the 1960s, and they cannot be
minimized. I know, however, that those ties
were not nearly as strong as they need to be
today.
My own experience as an immigrant, racial
justice organizer has convinced me that build-ing a container that can hold all the experi-
ences different people of color have with
racial hierarchy is critically important to pre-
vent further loss of civil rights victories
even more so if we are to expand those victo-
ries. The vast changes in our national demo-
graphics are largely due to one of the benefits
of the civil rights era: the passage of the
Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, the
policy that enabled my people, Indians, to
enter the US in significant numbers. Yet many
Indian immigrants and their descendants are
all too eager to distance themselves from that
very same movement, accepting a role as the
solution to the problem of black insur-
gence. My friend Vijay Prashad has written
beautifully about this phenomenon in TheKarma of Brown Folk. The racial profiling of
South Asians, Arabs and Muslims following
September 11 shocked many of us into a new
awareness, but it is still possible, for example,
for middle class South Asian Americans in
particular to resist the profiling of us, while
engaging in the profiling of others.
I say this as an immigrant who has spent
countless hours arguing with other immigrants
and refugees who refuse to acknowledge our
place in a racial hierarchy, and to take that into
account as we fight for our own freedom.
Continued on page 25
Rinku Sen is the President
and Executive Director of the
Appl ied Rese arc h Ce nt er
(ARC) and Publisher of
Colorlines.com. The article
submitted by Colorlines.com.
The civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr waves to support-ers on the Mall during the 'March on Washington' in 1963, the
stage for his famous I have a dream speech.
7/27/2019 18 Vol 6 Epaper
14/30
14 August 24-30, 2013 TheSouthAsianTimes.infoOP-ED
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
By Karan Thapar
The killing of five Indian soldiers on
the Line of Control (LoC) is abom-
inable. Its also unforgivable. There
can be no contrary view about this.
However we should have answered two
questions before allowing the Opposition
and sections of the media to whip us into
an unthinking froth. Sadly, they werent
even asked.
The first question is straightforward.
Did the killings happen out of the blue or
were they part of a depressing but contin-
uing chain of action and reaction on the
LoC? We responded as if the five murdersare inexplicable and without context. But
thats not so.
The killings happened early on August
6. A week earlier, on July 28, the
Pakistani newspaper Express Tribune and
our own Firstpost.com claimed that five
villagers from the Pakistan side of the
LoC were kidnapped by the Indian Army
and then, subsequently, mysteriously
found dead. A week before the Pakistani
government claimed one of its soldiers,
Asim Iqbal, had been killed by firing from
the Indian side and another seriously
injured.
I have little doubt this dreadful chain
extends backwards not just weeks and
months but literally years. Maybe evendecades. It also extends forwards.
Pakistan claims two of its soldiers were
shot and critically injured after August 6.
In turn they shot and injured at least one
of ours.
So the first lesson we should have borne
in mind is that dreadful things happen on
the LoC and both sides are perpetrators as
well as victims. Of course, on each occa-
sion innocent soldiers are killed and their
death is unforgiveable. But we cant claim
greater moral stature nor condemn the
Pakistanis as cold-blooded killers.
The second question was less straight-
forward. But it was an obvious one to ask.
Were the killings an attempt to sabotage
the proposed talks and the meeting
between our prime ministers?
Shahryar Khan, a former Pakistani for-
eign secretary and now Nawaz Sharifs
Special Envoy, has little doubt: Our
extremists have done it its meant to
derail the peace process. This was one
comment he didnt retract.
Two obvious suspects are the Lashkar-
e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. But they
are not the only ones. Fingers of suspicion
could also point at elements of the
Pakistan Army and the ISI.
In May and June, when Nawaz Sharifbegan reaching out to India, it was widely
reported General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
warned him against making such over-
tures. So is it just a coincidence that,
thereafter, weve seen a spate of aggres-
sive activity on the LoC? Or was this an
attempt by the Pakistan Army to thwart its
new prime minister?
For some this is just outlandish specula-
tion. Not Salman Khurshid. He says its
a plausible theory.
So, was AK Antony correct when, in his
first statement, he blamed the killings on
approximately 20 terrorists along with
some persons dressed in Pakistani Army
uniforms? Possibly. Its just that by stop-
pi ng th er e an d no t go in g fu rt he r heseemed to exculpate the Pakistani State.
Had he added the following sentence
from his second statement few would
have disagreed: We all know that noth-
ing happens from the Pakistan side of the
LoC without support, assistance, facilita-
tion and, often, direct involvement of the
Pakistan Army.
Mr Antony must rue the infelicitous
b